The National Museum of Ireland, who now hold the hoard, describe the torc as the "finest example of Irish La Tène goldworking".

A somewhat puzzling aspect of the hoard is that scientific analysis suggests the same source for the gold in all the pieces, but they show a great diversity in style, from Celtic to Roman.

The hoard was found near Lough Foyle in a field in the townland of Broighter (Irish: Brú Íochtair, meaning 'lower fort')[7] 2 km northwest of Limavady in County Londonderry.

It consisted of a miniature ship, complete with fittings and oars; two necklets, a bowl and a torc (or hollow collar).

The boat has led some archaeologists to suggest that the hoard was a votive deposit, perhaps to the Celtic sea god Manannán mac Lir.

[12] Other scholars dispute this identification, however; noting that all extant stories in which Manannán appears are later medieval compositions and there is no indication that the Irish of the 1st century BC would have worshipped him.

[13] The other remarkable item was the torc or collar which is 7.5 inches (19 cm) in diameter with buffer terminals, using a mortice and tenon fastening.

Its purpose is unclear but it was probably a model of a large cauldron, which was an important object in the feasting culture of Iron Age Europe.

[6] Hanging bowls were later to be a distinctive feature of post-Roman British and Irish art, often thought to be a speciality of Celtic areas.

[9] The Royal Irish Academy disputed the British Museum's view that it was an ancient gift to the gods and launched a long running court case.

Day, the antiquarian, was so aggrieved to have his sale disputed that he withdrew a gift he was going to make to the Irish Academy.

It was argued that the model of the boat and the "sea-horse image" on the torc when combined with the finding of nearby shells showed that the treasure had been placed in water deliberately as an offering to ancient gods.

[2] The dispute was finally settled by a court in London in 1903 in an important case where the government was represented by Sir Edward Carson, who was a Unionist and Solicitor-General.

The National Museum of Ireland believes that the collar is the "finest example of Irish La Tène goldworking".