At the age of fourteen and the eldest of five children I was excited at starting my first job in Dromalane Mill.

It was January so I was well wrapped up in fur boots - which my Granny had bought for me -  hat, scarf, and gloves which was provided by my Aunt Sue. The hat however I refused to wear. The 7.30am horn sounded from the mill as my Aunt Sue came to the door with me. A woman she knew and who worked in the mill was walking down Chapel Street.

 "Can you show our Irene where the reeling loft is, as this is her first day?" asked Aunt Sue. The woman was happy to oblige.

I settled in and enjoyed my duties;  these involved writing and distributing tickets for the different yarns.

The craic was great and we had many laughs and a lot of my school friends worked alongside me; Carmel Mc Keown, Mary Mc Shane, Delores Fearon and several others. Then there were the boys!

Now you know why I refused to wear the hat.

You worked a week in hand; I received my first wage packet of £1-19-00. I was so overjoyed that I ran the whole way home and gave it to my mammy. She looked at the beige-coloured wage packet with my name on it, held it to her chest and cried,

"Hard earned at fourteen!  I wish I had no need to spend it."

I replied,

“Don’t worry Mammy, I will get another one next week".

She hugged me and invited me to ‘sit down and have your tea’. I sat at the table with my three brothers and sister feeling ten foot tall.

I, Irene Dean was now officially a wage earner and the bread-winner for the family. Later in the evening I visited my Granny in Chapel Street and proudly gave her a half a crown from my first wage. She wrapped it in a piece of red flannelette and placed it in her memento box.

After her death, in a small trinket box belonging to her, we found,

….half a crown, a lock of my blond hair, and her wedding ring.

Attached was a simple note, but enough to explain everything,

"for Irene".

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