My Grandad Jim Bollard
By Ellie Brennan, 5th Class

When my Grandad Jim Bollard was a young boy, about nine or ten, he lived in Kilkenny with his brothers and one sister. My Grandad was very adventurous and was always going. I am going to tell you a story of when my Grandad used to steal apples from the Kilkenny Orchard.

When my Grandad was about nine or ten, he used to go off to the orchard with his two of his brothers at a good time. Usually they would go when the people who work in the Orchard went off to mass.

They would make sure no one was there so they would not get caught because if you got caught the guards would be called. They would check and then jump over the wall to get into the Orchard.
Once the coast was clear, they would run. One of them would go get a stick just in case shaking was not enough. They would either shake the tree but if that was not enough they would use the stick and knock them down. But the days they were feeling energetic they would climb the odd time.

Once they got the apples they would leave and make sure no one saw them and then tuck in. Once or twice, they got caught but luckily got away. When they got back to their house the other brothers got ready to do the very same thing I just told you about.

That’s my story about my Grandad when he was little. My Grandad now works in his pub in Castlecomer. Nowadays Grandad gives us all ice creams but don’t worry. He buys them, not steals them!