as they leave, an elderly irishman called finian mclonergan arrives with his daughter sharon. they have come looking for rainbow valley, but sharon misses their home in ireland ("how are things in glocca morra"). finian explains to sharon that american millionaires convert their wealth into gold and bury it near fort knox. he concludes it is the soil in fort knox that makes the usa rich, and reveals that he has a crock of gold stolen from a leprechaun, which he intends to bury. woody and the sharecroppers reenter, and when woody doesn't have enough money to pay the interest on the taxes, finian pays the rest. finian and sharon are welcomed by the sharecroppers. sharon explains her father's philosophy of following one's dream ("look to the rainbow").