1878.I The Gold and Placer Mines of Wicklow. 191 
judge from their habitations, that were rarely high enough 
for them to stand up in, and into most of which they had to 
creep through passages scarcely 3 feet high ; yet in these 
caves most highly-wrought gold ornaments and weapons are 
not uncommon ; while under some of the deep bog they also 
occur. Of the “ finds” in bogs, those in the Bog of Cullen, 
at the junction of the counties of Tipperary and Limerick, 
are the most remarkable, as here were found not only innu- 
merable golden articles, but also the various implements 
used by the goldsmith, such as crucibles, ladles, and the like, 
among the “ corkers ” or roots of the trees of an ancient 
forest. 
As pointed out by O’Curry, this locality seems to have 
been the habitat for years of a race of goldsmiths, who 
carried on the manufacture from one generation to another 
in the wood there situated, long before the bog began to grow. 
O’Curry has tried to identify these goldsmiths with a race of 
artificers whose genealogy is given in the book of Lismore, 
who were direCt descendants from Olioll Olum, king of 
Munster, and followed the trade from about A.D. 300 to 
A.D. 500 ; but the thickness of the bog over the ancient 
forest, among the remains of which the articles are found, 
would seem to suggest a far greater age. 
The numerous and rich “finds” in the Bog of Cullen 
during the last two hundred years has made it proverbial in 
Munster and celebrated in song. 
It would seem that after the conquest of Ireland by the 
English the existence of gold in the country was unknown or 
forgotten ; but in recent years it was remarked that from 
time to time the natives of Wicklow brought up small quan- 
tities of gold to sell in Dublin. This did not create much 
inquiry till 1795, when a large nugget was offered for sale. 
The exaCt weight of this is uncertain, some say 2i|- ounces, 
others only 18 ; while some authorities mention two large 
nuggets. Whatever its weight, on enquiry it was found that 
it had been picked up by a girl driving cattle over the ford of 
Ballinasilloge, in the stream now called the Gold-Mines 
River. This runs eastward from Croghan Kinshella to 
join the Aughrim River, and eventually the Ovoca, at 
Wooden Bridge. 
The find of this large nugget caused a rush to the place, 
and for over six weeks from 600 to 700 people were working 
in the valley and neighbouring streams, till the Government, 
fortified by a special A6t of Parliament, took possession, and 
established more systematic placer mining, under Messrs. 
Weaver, King, and Mills. The Government mining seems 
