My Grandad James O’Shea; Life as a young Coal Miner
By Hannah O’Shea, 5th Class

A long, long time ago when my grandad James was 12 years old he lived in a small village called Moneeree. He worked in the coal mines for years. When he came home he had bits of coal on his clothes.

When you’re 12 years old it is probably really hard to work in the coal mines. When my Grandad worked in the coal mines, one day he would pick coal and the next day he would bring the coal up to the surface in trams. He would come home from work and he would be tired after a long day lying on his side picking coal or pushing trams up a hill.

After 13 years of hard work, the mines closed in 1968. When the mines closed my Grandad got a job in the local mills. When my Grandad left the mills he was 55 years old.

Then he had a quiet life with his family in a house in Castlecomer. With not having to work in the coal mines or the mills one thing for sure he deserved a quiet life after 43 years of work.