Hidden Treasure

transcribed at

Hidden Treasure  [duchas:4874143]

Long ago a gentleman and his coachman were killed in a house at the hill of Coad in this parish (Kilnaboy).  Some time afterwards the wife of the gentleman saw a ghost in the house.  She immediately left, telling her maid that she was only leaving for a few days where as she did intend to return. The next night the maid was alone in the house and at mid-night she heard a strange noise upstairs, being astonished she went up to see what had caused it, on entering the room from which the sound came she saw the ghost, and immediately fainted and died.
The house was unoccupied for many years afterwards.  At last a family came to reside there.  On the first night of their arrival they heard the same strange noise as was heard previously, and on witnessing the cause they collapsed.
Some time afterwards a girl came to live in the house and knowing the strange story she did not pay much attention to it, as she was a brave girl.  
At twelve o’clock mid-night she heard the noise and taking a lighted candle she went upstairs, as she approached the

Hidden Treasure  [duchas:4874144]

room the noise ceased and on entering she placed the candle on a table.  Then going out she shut the door, and stopped to peep through the key hole.  She had not long to wait for after a few minutes she again heard the noise and saw two men one of whom was seated.  One of them exclaimed in a loud voice, “Go John and bring me that.” He did as he was ordered, and took from a hole in the wall a large boot full of gold coins.  The man who was seated then took it and counted the gold, and gave it to the other who put it back in its former place.  They then disappeared and the girl going into the room took the gold and kept it herself.

The next night she went up before she heard the noise and stood at the door.  The men again appeared, and one of them said “Go John and bring me that”, he not finding it said, “It is gone”.  The man then exclaimed, “Glad I am for it has troubled me a long time”.  The girl left it back in the same in a year afterwards at the hill of Coad.

The treasure is guarded by three white horses.  It can be found when the priest raises the host at mass.

Collected by: - Tréasa Nich Aodha, Carhunamadra
Told by: - James Roche, (her grandfather).
(73 years)