Irish gold is gold that occurs naturally in areas of Ireland. Ireland was the major area of gold working in the Bronze Age British Isles. Irish gold is especially well known from the Irish Bronze Age as jewellery, in the form of gold lunulae, torcs, gorgets and rings. [2]
The first gold was produced in Ireland c. 2500 BC during the late Neolithic/Atlantic Bronze Age [ clarification needed ]. Sun discs and lunulae were produced from hammered gold. Lead-isotope and major-element analyses have shown this gold to mostly be from Cornwall, also a major ancient source of tin. In return, Irish copper was exchanged for this foreign gold. [3] [4] Around 1200 BC torcs began to be produced using new techniques. From 900 BC bracelets, dress-fasteners, sheet gold collars and ear-spools were made in Ireland. [5]
A likely source for Irish gold is placer mining in Ireland's rivers, including the rivers of County Wicklow and the "Gold Coast" of County Waterford. [6] [7] Other likely ancient sources based on placenames include Slieveanore ("Gold Mountain", County Clare), Tullynore ("Gold Hillock", County Down), Coomanore ("Gold Hollow", County Cork), Luganore ("Gold Hollow", County Tipperary) and Glenanore ("Gold Valley", County Cork). [8] [9] Note that the Golden Vale is not named for the metal, but for its high quality soil; the town of Golden, County Tipperary takes its name from the Irish gabhailín, "river fork"; and Shanagolden, County Limerick is from seanghualainn, "old shoulder". [10] [11] [12]
All gold in the ground in the Republic of Ireland is the property of the state. Recreational gold panning is permitted, but the gold cannot be sold and finds of over 20 flakes or 2 grams (0.064 ozt) must be reported. [13]
A gold rush occurred in County Wicklow in the 1790s centred around the Goldmines River. [14] [15] [16] Between 1796 and 1860 about 300 kilograms (9,600 ozt) of gold was mined in Ireland in total, from places including the Goldmines River, County Wicklow. [17]
In 2008 a major discovery was announced near Clontibret, estimated at 500,000 troy ounces (16,000 kg). The mining is run by Conroy Gold and Natural Resources and Anglo Asian Mining. [18] Total resources could be as high as 20,000,000 troy ounces (620 t). [19] [13] [20]
A torc, also spelled torq or torque, is a large rigid or stiff neck ring in metal, made either as a single piece or from strands twisted together. The great majority are open at the front, although some have hook and ring closures and a few have mortice and tenon locking catches to close them. Many seem designed for near-permanent wear and would have been difficult to remove.
The Wicklow Mountains form the largest continuous upland area in Ireland. They occupy the whole centre of County Wicklow and stretch outside its borders into the counties of Dublin, Wexford and Carlow. Where the mountains extend into County Dublin, they are known locally as the Dublin Mountains. The highest peak is Lugnaquilla at 925 metres.
A lock ring, also spelled lock-ring, is a late Bronze Age penannular hair ornament. Typically in gold, the intricate, decorative jewellery is recognized for its highly skilled workmanship. The name is derived from its suggested use as a hair fastener. Lock rings most likely originated in Ireland in the mid-eighth century B.C. They continued to be manufactured in Ireland, primarily in the River Shannon area into the seventh century B.C. Lock rings from the late Bronze Age have also been found in Great Britain and France.
Caergwrle is a village in the county of Flintshire, in north east Wales. Approximately 5–6 miles (8.0–9.7 km) from Wrexham and situated on the A541 road, it is contiguous with the villages of Abermorddu and Hope, though in parts Caergwrle and Hope are separated by a river border. The village lies on the River Alyn and sits at the base of Hope Mountain. At the 2001 Census, the population was 1,650. The population was subsequently absorbed in the community of Hope and only the electoral ward remained. The population of this ward as taken at the 2011 census was 1,619. The ward includes the area of Abermorddu. Further south is the village of Cefn-y-Bedd.
Avoca is a small town near Arklow, in County Wicklow, Ireland. It is situated on the River Avoca.
Welsh gold is gold found in natural geological deposits in two distinct areas of Wales and highly prized because of its origin and scarcity.
Bunmahon, also called Bonmahon, is a coastal village in County Waterford, Ireland, at the mouth of the River Mahon. During the 19th century, when copper mines operated in the area, Bonmahon was a mining village. As of the 21st century, the village and its beach lie on a tourist route.
The primary natural resources of the Republic of Ireland include natural gas, petroleum, peat, copper, lead, dolomite, barite, limestone, gypsum, silver and zinc. Key industries based on these and other natural resources include fishing, mining, and various forms of agriculture and fish farming. The Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources is charged with the legislative protection of Ireland's natural resources.
The prehistory of Ireland has been pieced together from archaeological evidence, which has grown at an increasing rate over the last decades. It begins with the first evidence of permanent human residence in Ireland around 10,500 BC and finishes with the start of the historical record around 400 AD. Both the beginning and end dates of the period are later than for much of Europe and all of the Near East. The prehistoric period covers the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age societies of Ireland. For much of Europe, the historical record begins when the Romans invaded; as Ireland was not invaded by the Romans its historical record starts later, with the coming of Christianity.
Hollyford is a small village in County Tipperary, Ireland. It is in the Roman Catholic parish of Kilcommon and Hollyford and Rearcross, in the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly, and is in the barony of Kilnamanagh Lower.
A gold lunula was a distinctive type of late Neolithic, Chalcolithic, and—most often—early Bronze Age necklace, collar, or pectoral shaped like a crescent moon. Most are from Prehistoric Ireland. They are normally flat and thin, with roundish spatulate terminals that are often twisted to 45 to 90 degrees from the plane of the body. Gold lunulae fall into three distinct groups, termed Classical, Unaccomplished and Provincial by archaeologists. Most have been found in Ireland, but there are moderate numbers in other parts of Europe as well, from Great Britain to areas of the continent fairly near the Atlantic coasts. Although no lunula has been directly dated, from associations with other artefacts it is thought they were being made sometime in the period between 2400 and 2000 BC; a wooden box associated with one Irish find has recently given a radiocarbon dating range of 2460–2040 BC.
Aghavannagh is a small village and townland in south County Wicklow, Ireland. It is located in the barony of Ballinacor South on the Military Road originally constructed between 1804 and 1809, in the wake of the 1798 rebellion. It is so remote that inhabitants say that "Aghavannagh is the last place God made".
Shanagolden is a small village in County Limerick, Ireland. It is west of the 'Golden Vale', an area of fertile agricultural land in the province of Munster. The village is around 35 km west of Limerick city on the R521 road between Foynes and Newcastlewest. The population was 303 at the 2016 census. The village is in a townland and civil parish of the same name.
Knockavilla is a small village in County Cork, Ireland, a few of kilometres from Crossbarry and Innishannon. The local Roman Catholic church is dedicated to Saint Patrick. There is also a school, a pub, a graveyard, and a community hall. Knockavilla Celtic is the local association football club.
Gold Rush is a reality television series that airs on Discovery and its affiliates worldwide. The series follows the placer gold mining efforts of various family-run mining companies, mostly in the Klondike region of Dawson City, Yukon, Canada, as well as in the U.S. state of Alaska. In its 12th season as of early 2021, prior seasons also included mining efforts in South America and western North America.
Gold working in the Bronze Age British Isles refers to the use of gold to produce ornaments and other prestige items in the British Isles during the Bronze Age, between c. 2500 and c. 800 BCE in Britain, and up to about 550 BCE in Ireland. In this period, communities in Britain and Ireland first learned how to work metal, leading to the widespread creation of not only gold but also copper and bronze items as well. Gold artefacts in particular were prestige items used to designate the high status of those individuals who wore, or were buried with them.
Upperthird or Upper Third is a barony in County Waterford, Ireland.
The Golden Bog of Cullen is an archaeological site located in County Tipperary, Ireland. Discovered in the 18th century, it has been described as "one of the most important and prolific sites" in Ireland; it was discovered before modern methods of preservation and collection, and almost all of the finds were melted down.
The Mining Company of Ireland (MCI) was a mining company which operated in Ireland, starting in 1824.
The Wicklow gold rush, or the Avoca gold rush (1795–), was a gold rush that began on 15 September 1795, following the discovery of gold by a group of workers felling timber on the estate of Lord Carysfort on the northern slopes of Croghan Kinsella mountain, County Wicklow, Ireland.