THE IRISH GOLDFIELDS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1957, 17 October 1889, Page 1

THE IRISH GOLDFIELDS.

(Chambers' Journal.) Gold appears to have been found in Ireland at a very remote period, It is recorded that Tiernmas, one of the apocryphal kings of Ireland, worked gold mines in the forests of the Dublin and Wieklow refining the metal there, and manufacturing it into cups, brooches, and various other articles. Even the names of' the ancient artist, Ochadan, is preserved, and his residence, Eercualann, now Powerscourt, Enniskerry, Gounty Wieklow; The great number of gold ornaments found in various parts of Ireland, their exquisite workmanship and inimitable elegance of design, testify to the high degree of artistic excellence attained by those early artificers. It appears 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 at his own home into those interesting articles which to-day adorn the various museums.

At a place called Cullen, on the borders of the Counties Limerick and Tipperary, is an extensive bog, in which great numbers of valuable gold ornaments have been found, accompanied by crucibles, caldrons, ladles, and other smelting implements, clearly indicating that the district was at some remote period inhabited by a race of professional goldsmiths, whose existence must date from a time antecedent to the formation of the bog. In many other parts of Ireland, besides, similar evidences of ancient goldmming have been discovered, the mine io most cases having been exhausted,

; The wealth of Ireland in the precious metals seems at a later period to have constituted one of the chief attractions to the Danes in invading the country* and the tribute they exacted from the inhabitants of the conquered districts was largely paid in gold and silver. The Danish kings and chieftains adopted the native fashion of wearing massive ornaments of Irish gold. The ancient goldsmiths held high social rank in early Irish civilisation, and were even regarded with superstitious veneration,: by their ignorant neighbors, who believed them to be endowed with magic power as exorcists and charmers.

; The tradition of the gold mines in Wicklow never was completely lost; but the secret remained for hundreds of years at a time closely kept among a few families in that remote neighborhood.

! About 1780 a schoolmaster in the neighborhood of Arklow discovered the existence of alluvial gold in the Ballinvalley stream, now the Goldmine river, rising in the Croghan Kinshella, and flowing into the Aughrim river at the beautiful and celebrated vale pf Avoca. He kept the secret well, and gradually enriched himself, much to the amazement of his neighbors, who firmly believed tliat be had; sold himself to the Power of Darkness; but in 1796, when a man crossing the stream found I a nugget 220 z. in weight and disposed of it for 80 guineas, inquires were set on foot, and the secret leaked out. The report spread like wildfire, and operated so powerfully upon the minds of the untutored peasantry that they forsook every other employment and flocked in thousands to the newly discovered El Dorado. All hoped to realise the fortunes of Ali. Baba or Aladdin. Steady, sensible men, who had never wielded a pick or handled a spade, laid down their pens on their desks and thronged to the shores of Croghan Kinshella. Prom the 24th August, when the news became publicly known, till the 15th when the Government took possession of the diggings, over 25000 z of gold were found by these inexperienced miners, and sold by them for about £IO,OOO. 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 quills to bring to the goldsmiths.

After some time, the locality beaming the scene of great disorders, the authorities took possession of the mines, and ordered two companies of the Kildare militia to the spot. A sum of money was then issued by the Government for employing skilled labor and conducting the mines under scientific principles, a separate account being kept of the net profits for payment to whoever should prove their title thereto. It was too late, however, The most of the gold had been removed by the peasantry, and the produce of the mines after this barely paid the cost of working them. In 1798, during the rebellion, the Government found it necessary to withdraw the militia from the spot, and the operations were consequently discontinued till 1801, when they were resumed, and miles of new trenches opened in the Croghan Kinshella, Numerous veins of quartz were discovered in these works, but no gold, upon which the Government finally abandoned the undertaking, having spent nearly all the surplus in fruitless attempts to trace the gold,to its source.

Since that time, mining has been carried on with varying success by public companies and private individuals, and the peasantry have at rare intervals found morsels of the precious metal; but the sacra auri James has long since worn off, and searching for gold has of late years been confined to skilled workmen employed by public companies. About 1840 a company took lease of the district, and carried on the operations for some years under the superintendence of an experienced miner, employing about 50 persons at the work. The process was rough, but the results proved fairly remunerative. In 1869 the mines were again opened, and were worked till 1881, during which period the gold was continuously found, though in small quantities, | In almost every case where gold hafl been found in the tributaries it ha ß been found beneath the deep alluvium of the rivers into which they flow. A a it has been obtained in so many of the tributary streams of the Aughrim and Avoca, it seems reasonable to suppose that it would be also found deep beneath the beds of these rivers. This, however, has not yet been tried, so that considerable quantities may yet remain in the alluvium of these rivers, near the several points of confluence with their auriferous tributaries,