LOVE NORTHERN IRELAND!

The discovery of gold beneath a soggy layer of peat has turned County Tyrone in Northen Ireland into an unlikely player in the multibillion pound international bullion market.

Situated in a heather and gorse-covered valley in the lush Ulster countryside the Cavanacaw gold mine has opened for business.

Gold and Ireland have a long and distinguished history. The Celts produced some of the most accomplished treasures of the Bronze Age and Irish gold is said to have been found in the pryamids of Egypt.

Researchers declared earlier this year that much of the gold used by the Celtic goldsmiths had not come from abroad, as originally thought, but had been gathered from the Sperrin Mountains, also in County Tyrone, and other locations around Ireland.

For over 3500 years gold prospectors have been panning for this precious metal across Ireland. Today, as can be seen from the renewed mining activity, gold can still be found in the Sperrin Mountains.

The rivers and streams here are crystal clear and this is ideal for panning. Gortin burn is particularly clear and it is not only gold that can be found here but also
other minerals including iron pyrites, black magnetite and ruby coloured garnet.

Fools gold is also present and the best way to spot the differnce is by wieght. Real gold of course being the heaviest in the Sperrin streams.

The Sperrin Heritage Centre in Omagh offers gold panning for £1 per day and is well worth a visit