By Patrick McKiernan
When you think about treasure hunting, your mind might turn to fictional characters like Indiana Jones and Lara Croft, books like ‘Treasure Island’, or the long-running archaeological show ‘Time Team’. But thanks to one man and his detector, Fermanagh may now come to mind.
Les Graydon, a Belfast-born man living in Magheraveely for over 20 years, has spent more than 12 years immersed in the growing pastime of ‘detecting’ – using a metal detector to unearth relics and treasures from the past.
Les is so good at unearthing gems that, in 2022, was officially declared a ‘Treasure Finder’ by the Belfast courts.
Over the past decade, Les has uncovered thousands of items, helped establish the Fermanagh Metal Detecting Club (FDMC), and has two finds displayed in the Ulster Museum, including a 15th-century religious pendant.
Yet, he remains just as happy searching fields on his own, driven by curiosity as to what his next find may be, no matter the value.
“It’s a passion for me, an addiction,” said Les.
“It’s never about the value, it’s more about the anticipation of what I’ll find.”
Among his discoveries is a 4,000-year-old bronze chisel found outside Magheraveely a year ago, which awaiting clearance before submission to the Ulster Museum.
Les’s first-ever find, a Viking brooch, cemented his interest and kept him hunting.
“I have found items from Viking, Celtic, and Bronze Ages within a few miles of my home. Most things are found within the first six inches of ground,” he explained.
Les’s finds range from a Roman Denarius to a cannonball possibly used in the Battle of Newtownbutler. One notable discovery was a 1929 Silver Royal Life Saving medal which had ‘G Parkhill’ inscribed upon it.
He spoke to the landowner who said that a Geraldine Parkhill and her family used to live there but moved to Meath.
After some ‘digging’, Les managed to find the descendants of Geraldine and it ended up being Ken Parkhill who is a Grade 1 and multiple time Cheltenham champion horse breeder.
He was delighted to hear the story of his aunt’s origins and Les sent down the coin to be reunited with the Parkhills for the first time in almost 100 years.
“Finding all these items helps me know about the history of the county through research,” said Les.
This local knowledge amazingly helped him reunite a Fermanagh family that had been separated since 1912.
In 2022, within months of each other, separate families from the US and Canada came to explore their roots only for Les to realise that they had the same grandparental lineage. He set them back onto each other’s paths and now they are in close contact with each other and maintain contact with Les, who they have invited over for a visit.
Beyond detecting, Les highlights its mental health benefits and charitable aspects.
“As a group, we often hold rallies and we’d ask the owners of land we are detecting on nominate charities.
“We would all throw in £15 each and sometimes have raffles to raise extra funds. On one of our last rallies, we raised £1,500.”
With members aged from their 20s to pensioners, the local metal detecting club offers companionship and stress relief.
“It offers people a chance to talk and share stories or just escape the day-to-day stresses of life,” said Les. “You can just put on your headphones, go into a field and nothing else matters.
“It’s a great way to relax and forget everything.”
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