School: Coill an Easbuig (Bishopswood), Dundroma

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1. Hidden Treasure

   

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   Hidden Treasure
   In Carhue a townsland about a mile from Bishopswood there is said to be gold hidden. Long ago a number of huntsmen went in pursuit of a stag and on their way they passed through Carhue.
   One hunstman on jumping a fence remarked that where his horse landed on the ground there was as much gold hidden as would free Ireland. One man went to a local old woman named "Biddy Early" who was far famed for hew knowledge of those hidden treasures. She told him that there was a large firkin of gold buried in that place, but could not be unearthed without the loss of one life. It was well known that it was guarded by a huge black cat and inspite of hew advice they ventured to the spot. Fearing one of themselves might lose their lives, they brought with them an old hen ready to sacrifice her life for the gold.
   They then commenced to dig for it. They had not dug for it long when they came upon the treasure, but immediately the black cat appeared and made his seat on the lid of the treasure box. Remembering the old woman's words they quickly let down the hen and she was killed on the spot. The cat turned on the diggers and spat at them. They then decided to leave the treasure where it was, and so ran for home. They returned to the spot in the morning thinking that the black cat might be gone.

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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

   Collector

   Josephine Ryan

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Bishopswood, Co. Tipperary

   Informant

   Mrs Denis Ryan

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Bishopswood, Co. Tipperary