Told to Eileen Fallon, Kinvara by Patrick Fallon (abridged)
Photo: EO’D
It is believed that there is a treasure of gold hidden in Carnamadra, which is a little village situated about three miles form the town of Kinvara. It was supposed to be hidden by a miser during the time of the trouble in Ireland, which was in the year 1922. He was afraid the Black and Tans would take it because they used to take everything the people had. When the miser died the gold was still hidden in the same place.
Some men have tried to unearth it but they did not succeed. According as they were digging the earth was falling in again. No attempts have been made since to unearth it. The value of the hidden treasure is supposed to be about twelve thousand pounds.
There were, it is said, cries heard where it is buried, after the miser died. There was a white form seen there. People used to say the white form was the miser. The people who live in Carnamadra say the treasure is guarded by the fairies and that no one will ever be able to get it. There were often lights seen where the treasure is hidden. A few years after the miser died his ghost was to be seen guarding the gold. Only people traveling the roads at night ever saw the miser’s ghost.
This selection of lore comes from the duchas.ie website. It comprises part of the National Folklore Collection, property of University College Dublin held in trust for the people of Ireland. Content was collected by local children, carefully transcribed under the supervision of their teachers and forwarded with great pride to form part of the Collection.
The Burren and Beyond 