School: Ballynacally, Inis (roll number 2189)
- Location:
- Ballynacally, Co. Clare
- Teacher: Tomás Ó Cuinneagáin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0604, Page 008
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- XML “Hidden Treasure”
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- About a quarter of a mile to the west of the village of Ballynacally there are the ruins of an old church called "Kilchriost" which of course means the church of Christ. At first it was an old Monastery or Church where nuns used to live in former years but it is now in ruins, some people say that the Danes burned it while I hear others say that Cromwell's soldier's burned it. The nuns fled but before they left it they had all their valuable things and money stored in iron chests which they hid in the walls and under the ground.
It is said that a chieftain's wife dreamt that she would find gold hidden in the ruins of this church. She came on horse-back and when she arrived in the village of Ballynacally it was too late to start looking for the gold so she went into a house where a family of the O'Dohertys were residing. She took lodging there for the night. As she was seated near the fire with members of the O'Doherty family she made inquiries if men could be got around the place to do some work. O'Doherty asked her what work she wanted to have done so she told him about her dream and where the gold was hidden. He did not pretend to take much(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Eily Shannon
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Ballynacally, Co. Clare
- Informant
- Mrs Margaret Shannon
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- c. 40
- Address
- Ballynacally, Co. Clare
