Wicklow gold

Ireland had a genuine gold rush. In 1795 a large nugget was found in a stream in the Wicklow Mountains and within weeks thousands were working the gravels of what is now called the Gold Mines River; the Crown eventually took control. Ireland’s Bronze Age goldwork, the finest in prehistoric Europe, may have come from this ground. Recreational panning still turns up flakes here, by hand only: a pan, a shovel and a trowel are fine, but any powered equipment counts as mining. All gold in Ireland belongs to the State, though you may keep a small amount as a souvenir and never sell it. Before you pan, get permission from the landowner, the river rights owner and Inland Fisheries Ireland, because disturbing certain river beds and banks is an offence; do not work the same stream more than two days in a month; and tell the Exploration and Mining Division where and when if you find more than 20 flakes or a nugget over two grams.