Kieran Egan (b. 1928) and Daniel Egan (b. 1930) Part 1

Kieran Egan and Daniel Egan are natives of Ballinahown and are neighbours. Daniel Egan began work with Bord na Móna in his early twenties. He was given a German shovel in the Blackwater Bog, where he proceeded to dig trenches. He recalls the topography of the area before the advent of Bord na Móna and the huge uplift in the economic lives of the people once the Bord was set up. Kieran Egan began his work with the Bord as a seasonal worker in 1965. He was managing the rail line, and describes in detail what his job entailed. He also worked on heavy machinery, such as the Harrow and the Miller, from 6pm to 6am. Both gentlemen recall the years before Bord na Móna was set up and the involvement of the army in cutting and loading turf and its delivery to Athlone.