More than €110,000 was paid out to members of the public who inadvertently unearthed or stumbled across items of archaeological significance.
The payments were made over the past five years by the National Museum of Ireland (NMI) as a reward for good citizenship and handing over the historic artefacts to the State.
Figures show that finder rewards worth €19,312 were paid out in 2025 as compared to €14,755 the year before.
2023 was a bumper year for payments with members of the public given €45,850 for finds of old coins, swords, bog butter, and crucifixes.
The NMI would only provide provincial locations for discoveries, saying they did not want to encourage treasure hunting.
They said detailed information on where items were found risked creating the perception of a “financial opportunity [or] encouraging potentially damaging searching practices.”
In 2025, €6,400 worth of rewards were paid out in Connacht for discoveries including coins, a blade, and “vessel fragments.”
A further €7,930 was given to members of the public in Leinster after they handed over items that included an axe-head, a scraper, and pipe fragments.
There was a small payment of €400 in Munster for an axe-head, and a scoop and ring.
Payments totalling €4,200 along with books and tote bags from the National Museum were provided to finders based in Ulster.
That was as reward for discovery of an axe-head and a sword, according to records released under FOI. Other items handed over during the past five years included a brooch, shoes, burial material, and arrowheads.