| History of Blackbeard |
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Blackbeard was the most notorious pirate in the history of
seafaring. With a beard that almost covered his face he would
strike terror into the hearts of his victims by weaving wicks laced
with gunpowder into his hair and lighting them during battle. A big
man, he added to his menacing appearance by wearing a crimson coat,
two swords at his waist, and bandoleers stuffed with numerous
pistols and knives across his chest.
The sight of Blackbeard was enough to make most of his victims
surrender without a fight. If they gave up peacefully, he would
usually take their valuables, navigational instruments, weapons,
and rum before allowing them to sail away. If they resisted, he
would often maroon the crews and burn their ship. Blackbeard worked
hard at establishing his devilish image, but there is no archival
evidence to indicate that he ever killed anyone who was not trying
to kill him.
Blackbeard's lawless career lasted only a few years, but his
fearsome reputation has long outlived him. Thought to have been a
native of England, he was using the name Edward Teach (or Thatch)
when he began his pirating sometime after 1713 as a crewman aboard
a Jamaican sloop commanded by the pirate Benjamin Hornigold. In
1716 Hornigold appointed Teach to command a captured vessel. By
mid-1717 the two, sailing in concert, were among the most feared
pirates of their day.
Blackbeard's reign of terror climaxed in a week-long blockade of
the port of Charleston, South Carolina in late May 1718. One week
later, his ship "Queen Anne's Revenge" was lost at Beaufort
Inlet.
In October 1718 Blackbeard and his confidants sailed to Bath,
then the capital of North Carolina, where they received pardons
from Governor Charles Eden. In November 1718, Governor Alexander
Spottswood of Virginia, knowing that Blackbeard and his men had
continued taking ships long after the period of amnesty had
expired, sent a Royal Navy contingent to North Carolina, where
Blackbeard was killed in a bloody battle at Ocracoke Inlet on
November 22, 1718.
Teach was shot 5 times and stabbed more than 20 times before he
died and was decapitated by Lieutenant Robert Maynard, Captain of
the HMS Pearl. His head was then placed as a trophy on the bowsprit
of the ship.
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Dead Man's Chest
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What hasn't been documented is that Blackbeard paid a visit to
Ireland in the midst of his piratical career. He had amassed a
fortune of gold and jewels and was wary that the British were close
to capturing him. In order to protect his fortune he came to the
Northwest coast and travelled inland accompanied by four of his
crew. They located a hiding spot near a lake close to present day
Ballybofey.
Blackbeard betrayed his four crew men and brutally slaughtered
them to protect the knowledge of the hiding spot. He then returned
to his ship and sailed back to the Caribbean where he met his
demise at the hands of Lietenant Maynard.
The spirits of the four murdered crew still protect the secret
of the treasure. Blackheart Flint, Mental Marcus and Happy Henry
wander the lands while Stumpy Jack protects the hiding spot. Stumpy
Jack is still as vicious now as when he was alive and will kill you
in a second unless you can prove that you have already met his
three murdered shipmates.
Before attempting to retrieve the treasure you must locate the
three wandering pirate ghosts and retrieve from them the
information to get past Stumpy Jack. Thankfully they haven't
wandered too far and you can locate them using the links below:
Horrible Henry: "Drumboe" (GC113PQ)
Mental Marcus: "Gort Scith" (GC113PT)
Blackheart Flint: "Monellan Castle" (GC113PP)
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Getting There
Ballybofey is on the main N15 Sligo to Letterkenny road. From
the centre of town at N54°47.964 W007°46.884 take the back
road for Clady and keep an eye out for the signposted right turn
for Trusk Lough at N54°47.685 W7°46.380.
The path circumnavigates the lake but there are access issues on
the shore opposite the cache as the landowner is in dispute with
Coillte and has blocked the path. This does not affect the
cache site and will hopefully be resolved soon.
The Cache
The cache is a 30cal ammo box with a geocaching label on the
outside.
When placed it contained the usual logbook, pencil, sharpener,
assortment of trade items and a FTF prize.
This is a popular spot with locals so please make sure it is
well hidden when you leave.
PLEASE ONLY TRADE UP OR
EVEN.
TBs MOVE BETWEEN CACHES
AND REMAIN THE PROPERTY OF THE PERSON THAT RELEASED THEM. I DO NOT
COUNT THEM AS TRADE ITEMS.
IF YOU WISH TO TAKE
SOMETHING FROM THIS CACHE PLEASE DON'T LEAVE A TB IN IT'S PLACE.
THANK YOU.
Visit the Geocaching Ireland discussion forum
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