Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-08-29
GOLD FIELDS OF IRELAND.
Their Antiquity and Early Workers
Lost Miners In Wicklow.

From Chsmbsrs' Journal
Gold appears 70 have been found IN IRELAND
at . very remote period II 10 recorded that
Tiernmas, one Of the apocryphal kings Of Ire
land, worked gold mines in the forests Of the
Dublin and wicklow mountains, refining the
metal there and manufacturing il into cups,
brooches and various other articles.
The great number of gold ornaments found
In various parts Of Ireland, their exquisite
workmanship and inimitabls elegance Of de-
sign testify TO the high degree Of artistic excel
lence attained by those early artihoera. II ap-
pears to have been the practice in those times
for the goldsmith to reside close to the mine,
digging up and preparing on the spot small
Quantities Of the precious metal, which he
then fashioned and finished 1t his own homo
into those interesting articles which today
adorn the various museums.
At place called Cullen, On the borders OF
the counties Limerick and Tipperary. Is an
extensive bog, in which great numbers OF valu-
able gold ornaments have been found. accom-
panied by crucibles, caldrons, ladies, and other
smelling implements, clearly indicating that
the district was at some remote period inhab-
tied by race Of professional goldsmith whose
existence must date from . time antecedent to
the formation Of the bog. In many other parts
Of Ireland besides similar evidences Of ancient
gold mining have been discovered, the mine In
most cases having been exhausted.
The wealth Of Ireland in the precious metals
seems at later period TO have constituted one
Of the chief attractions TO the Danes in invad-
ing the country, and the tribute they exacted
rom the inhabitants of the conquered districts
was largely paid il gold and silver. The Danish
kings and chieftains adopted the native fashion
The ancient goldsmiths held high social rank
in early Irish civilization, and were even re-
garded with superstitious veneration by their
ignorant neighbors, who believed them to be
endowed with magic powers a. exorcists and
charmers.
The tradition of the gold mines In wicklow
never was completely lost; but the secret re-
manned for hundreds Of years ct Q time closely
kept among few families in that remote
neighborhood.
About 1850 schoolmaster in the nsighbor.
hood OF Arklow discovered the existence Of
alluvial gold in the Ballin valley stream, now
the Goldmine river, rising in the Croghan
kinshella and flowing into the Aughrim river
at the beautiful and celebrated vale Of Avoca.
He kept the secret well, and gradually enriched
himself, much to the amazement Of his neigh
bors, who firmly believed that he had sold
when man crossing the stream found . mug
get ~ ounces in weight and disposed of IL for
70 guineas, inquiries were set on foot and the
secret leaked out The report spread like
wildhre and operated SO powerfully upon the
minds OF the untutored peasantry that they
torsook every other employment and hocked
In thousands to the undiscovered Edo
RADIO. All hoped to realize the fortunes of Ali
Bahia or Aladdin. Steady sensible men who
had never welded pick or handled a spade
laid down their pens on their desks and
thronged to the slopes OF Croghan Kinshella.
From the gath of August, when the news became
publicly known, till the 18th of October. when
the government took possession Of the dig
gings over 2, 500 ounces Of gold were found by
these inexperienced miners and sold by them
for about El0,0 The process Of mining was
extremely simple. They dug up the sand from
the river bed, washed it and then picked out
the granules Of gold, which they preserved in
quilts to bring to the goldsmiths.