School: Coillín Aodha (B.)

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1. Hidden Treasure

   

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   Hidden Treasure

   A few years after the Famine in 1847 two girls engaged in levelling an old fence at Ardagh ,Ballina, Co Mayo unearthed a number of metal bars. They took them home and used some of them as stakes for tying cattle. The remainder they (?) under the kitchen bed.
   Some short time later two men of the wandering class - a rag gatherer named Paddy Jennings and a collector of scrap iron named Gallagher visited the house. Gallagher seeing the bars under the bed asked for one of them which was given him freely. He departed with it only to return again in a few days to ask for all similar bars in the place. He pointed out that wooden stakes were more suitable for tying the cattle and agreed to supply some in exchange for the bars. The girls consented and Gallagher took away with him all the bars which were nothing less than bars of gold. Gallagher disposed of them at a huge price and with the money established a most up-to-date business in Westport.
   This story was told to James Gordon, Ballogan, Cullens by the above named Paddy Jennings in the year of 1874. He was still a rag-gatherer and lived in a small cabin near Bourke's Grove, Enniscrone. As he told the story he was engaged with his wife in sorting out different classes of rags. He concluded his remarks as follows:- "Here am I still only an old rag-man and he (Gallagher) has his fine big place beyond in Westport" Jas Gordon born in 1859 was 15 yrs old when he heard this story. Paddy Jennings was then an old man of about 80 years

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. genre
      1. belief (~391)
         1. folk belief (~2,535)
            1. treasure legends (~7,411)

   Language

   English

   Informant

   James Gordon

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   78

   Occupation

   Shopkeeper

   Address

   Ballyogan, Co. Sligo