The monster guards a crock of gold

The monster guards a crock of gold

Station Island--Folklore--Worm--Treasure

"The same or a similar monster inhabits the lake yet (still) and was seen not many months ago. It guards a crock of gold which lies buried in the ancient island of the Purgatory…"

John O'Donovan, 1806-1861

Letter from John O'Donovan, Ballyshanny, 1st of November, 1835, p. 250, O’Donovan, John, Ordnance Survey Letters, Donegal: Letters Containing Information Relative to the Antiquities of the County of Donegal Collected during the Progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1835, p. 124

Four Masters Press, Dublin

1835 [2000]

Transcribed and edited by Michael Herity, MRIA

Citation for the purposes of criticism

Edited edition of letters

English with Irish text in Celtic script

Ordnance Survey Letters

DD_0177

54.616218, -7.876212

"The same or a similar monster inhabits the lake yet (still) and was seen not many months ago. It guards a crock of gold which lies buried in the ancient island of the Purgatory. A Frenchman dreamed of this treasure some fifty years ago and came all the way from France to dig it out of the ground, but was of course prevented by the Ollphiast from carrying it out of so poor a country."

Hand written letters held in Royal Irish Academy