Ireland stood at the forefront of Westem European artistic culture in antiquity, when great passage graves were built; during the 7th and 8th centuries AD, when the Irish produced masterpieces of metalwork and manuscript illumination; and during the 18th century, an age of classical elegance. The achievements of these periods and others survive largely intact. This survey describes the whole sequence of Irish art and architecture. Peter Harbison, chairman of the National Monuments Advisory Council, is author of "Pre-Christian Ireland" (Thames and Hudson, 1988). Homan Potterton was Director of the National Gallery of Ireland, 1980-88. Jeanne Sheehy is author of "The Rediscovery of Ireland's Past" (Thames and Hudson, 1980).