Short but steep

Intended to approach from the north but under time pressure I opted to risk a direct route from the west. Parked at the corner/junction CloneHs (T140 767) (room for 1 maybe 2 cars). Took the left of two parallel tracks heading south east, the right one is a drive way to a house. This left side gravel track runs up the edge of a field, the gate was open, no livestock so I felt it was worth a look. At the gated entrance to the forest I left the track to follow a wall straight up the hill to B (T147 761). Steep going but the forestry is mature enough to pass through without delay. Then south to the top. Returned by the same route allowing myself a jog down through the trees. 32 minutes car to car.
Intrigued to find what I always took to be boulders on top were in fact trees. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/707/comment/6153/

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simon3 on Moneyteige North

Moneyteige North can be approached from the south, Croghan Kinsella direction. There are a number of places to start up that summit from such as a forestry entrance at B'nagore (T15198 74118)

The picture shows the summit from the southern side. The cultivated fields here are surprisingly high reaching an altitude of around 400m. (Though not as high as one field on the northern side of Croghan Kinsella which appears to at around 550m).

One route to avoid the fields shown on the right of this picture, which may have livestock in them, is to walk down to the obvious forest road shown in the picture to left. Follow this until it finishes and then walk over rougher forest side tracks until the summit is in view. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/707/comment/3754/

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Where is the adit?

Went looking for the Adit in the photos but couldn't find trace of it?
Anyone else find it?
Its shown as a feature on the east west map but all I could see on the ground was the trench. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/707/comment/20072/

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csd on Moneyteige North

We approached Moneyteige North from the north, parking at B'Coog (T15936 77930). The tangle of forest tracks shown on Sheet 62 isn't apparent on the ground, so route-finding is fairly straightforward. Just follow what is obviously the most-used track, turning right up the hill at C (T151 761) towards the summit. Trees block the view to one side of the summit area, but there are some vistas over to Croghan to the south. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/707/comment/2866/

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‘Gold in them thar hills’?

Though not on the scale of California, in 1795 Wicklow witnessed a gold rush on the Goldmine River that flows northwards from Croghan and the Moneyteige mountains. Tradition says a local school teacher named Donaghoo began living beyond his means, arousing suspicion. He had noticed a stream glistening in the rays of the setting sun and realising this was gold, began secretly panning the sands for flakes and nuggets which he subsequently sold to Dublin jewellers for cash. Sadly for him, he fell in love with a duplicitous local girl who tricked him into revealing the secret of his wealth. The news ran like wild fire! People flocked to the townlands of Ballinvally and Ballinasilloge, panning the sands of the rivers and streams below Croghan and Moneyteige, carting away clay to washings. By October 1875 up to 80 kg of gold had been recovered.

Unsurprisingly, this activity attracted the attention of the authorities and a party of the Kildare Militia took possession of the workings on behalf of the government. The small barracks that they built and occupied in the valley are still extant. An Act of Parliament to legalise the operation received Royal Assent in 1797 and 2 months later the first ingot of gold was sold to the Bank of Ireland. Another 17 kg of gold was recovered before operations were disrupted by the Rebellion. The labour force joined the rebels and the workings were ransacked.

Work resumed in 1800 with attempts to discover the gold bearing ‘mother lode’. Numerous trenches were excavated to bedrock and an adit (tunnel) was driven near Ballinvally. None of the quartz veins contained any gold and the operation ceased. Gold continued to be recovered intermittently by various companies, including a London based one overseen by a Cornish miner in 1840. About 60 people were employed, but returns were just enough to cover expenses and the operation folded after a few years. Locals however, continued profitably working the river and its tributaries, as well as the Aughrim, Coolbawn and Avoca. The Goldmine River workings are estimated to have yielded in total some 300 kg of gold, which, based on C19th gold prices, would be about £30,000. Today this would equate to a staggering $13-15 million. Some large nuggets found in the gold rush were sent to the National Museum, Ireland.

No gold bearing veins have ever been discovered on Croghan or the Moneyteige mountains, so where did it come from? Geologists believe it was contained in copper and iron bearing minerals (mainly chalcopyrite) on the Ballycoog-Moneyteige ridge, which have a volcanic derivation. During successive episodes of glaciation the gold was slowly weathered and eroded away, transported downstream by glaciers and deposited in glacial till. Over time it was concentrated in the rivers’ alluvium. Patience does reward the persistent panner and minute flakes of gold are still to be found in the rivers and streams below Moneyteige. So what are you waiting for? Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/707/comment/6458/

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