Wicklow gold rush
| Wicklow Gold Rush | |
|---|---|
The Goldmines River, the focus of attention during the gold rush | |
| Centre | Goldmines River (specifically in the vicinity of the bridge at Ballinagore), near Woodenbridge, County Wicklow, Ireland |
| Coordinates | 52°48′23″N 6°17′34″W / 52.806354°N 6.292823°W |
| Duration | 15 September 1795–15 October 1795 |
| Discovery | 15 September 1795, northern slopes of Croghan Kinsella mountain |
| Discoverers | A group of workers felling timber on the estate of Lord Carysfort |
| Announcement of find | The 16-19 September 1795 edition of Finn's Leinster Journal, and wider exposure in a letter printed in The Freeman's Journal of 29 September |
| Prospectors | Over 4,000 people onsite by 11 October 1795, prospectors and daytrippers |
| Extraction | Over four weeks as much as 80 kilograms of gold recovered |
The Wicklow gold rush, or the Avoca gold rush, was a gold rush that began on 15 September 1795, following the discovery of gold on the northern slopes of Croghan Kinsella mountain, County Wicklow, Ireland. The unregulated period of gold collection ended with a military takeover exactly one month later, on 15 October 1795. Over the four week period, as much as 80 kilograms of gold was recovered by prospectors. It was the only recorded gold rush to have occurred on the island of Ireland.