GOLD IN IRELAND.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 44, 10 April 1863, Page 6 (Supplement)

GOLD IN IRELAND.

(From the Victorian.) In olden times Ireland was noted for the superabundance of gold. Amongst the earliest notices in its pre-historic annals mention is made of workers in gold, of gold ornaments, of golden idols, and weapons offensive and defensive. The enormons quantity of these -discovered from time (o time attest the veracity of such statements. In the Museum of the Irish Academy — a pood collection made in the last few years — any visitor may have ocular demonstration of the bemrty of workmanship displayed in the " torc9," " muineads," "corns,' 1 shields, and crescents that havebeen recovered from the bogs and >*■ tivers of the old land. For a long tinr.e out archaeologists ■were puzzled to account for the evident abundance of gold in a former era, until the dissovery of the Wicklovv gold fields in the beginning of the present century. Some small nuggets havinsrbeen picked up in -that granitic district, a rush of over ten thousand people took place. However, it very soon subsided, as from the goid being so thinly sown it failed to pay for working. Companies have from time to time essayed the same field, but one after another have failed from the same cause. From first to last about one hundred thousand pounds' worth was taken out, and though gold was always found, it could not be made to pay. By the last mail we have the news of a discovery of a small gold field in 'Mayo. There the granitic formation : is prevalent, abutting on clay and sandstone. It appears two laborers were sinking a ditch on the farm of a Mr Jackson., when they came on a lump of metal, which, on consulting a returned Californian, was declared a nugget, and •on being weighed turned out to be over •six pounds. Several other nussets were found Tiear it, and soon four hundred men were on the ground, working with more or less good luck. The question noiv arises whether this will be a permanent gold-field or a *roere patch ; but taking into consideration the geological formation of the a great portion of which is covered with a few feet of bog, there is ome probability of further discoveries, now that attention has been called to 'he subject. Mr Jackson, the lucky iroprietor, was charging half-a-crown a bot for the privilege of digging, and his may stimulate some of the neighortng proprietors to get their lands '■respected.