School: O'Brennan, Baile Mhic Ealgóid, Tráighlí

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1. Hidden Treasure

   

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   N.B. The following pages are records of pupils' work as per Booklet prepared by the Folklore Commission and issued to National Schools by the Department of Education (Sept. 1937).

   Hidden Treasure
   Colonel Rowan of Rathanny House, Rathanny-was an estate owner, and also a magistrate. He held lands in places other than Rathanny, and therefore had a number of tenants with whom-according to one seancaidhe - he was unpopular as he was hard and always demanded "the last farthing" in payments of rent. About that time a treasure ship was wrecked at Fenit (8 mls W. of Tralee). She was supposed to contain bullion or uncoined bar gold. The name of this ship, according to Patrick Flahive, of Potally-one versed in local tradition -was the "Janey Johnson".
   Colonel Rowan - a staunch supporter of British interests - was appointed to guard the treasure until its removal. Accordingly, accompanied by some men, he went to Fenit, and it is said that one night, while the others slept, he and a few of the guards whom he trusted removed the gold or some of it to Rathanny House - getting a car for the purpose. On arrival at the House, it is said that he hid the gold - no one knows where.
   Some time after this he attended a meeting of tenants at Tralee, and they must have been very much inflamed at his actions as they crushed

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   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

   Dan Mahony

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Carrignafeela, Co. Kerry

   Informant

   Maurice Savage

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Kilquane, Co. Kerry

   Informant

   Patrick Flahive

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Potaley, Co. Kerry