Once a vital hub of Ireland’s coal industry, Deerpark Colliery in Castlecomer operated from 1928 and employed up to 600 men and boys at its peak. Though mining ceased in 1969, remnants of the site still stand, including the old baths, the bicycle shed, and the explosives magazine—structures now abandoned and slowly reclaimed by nature. These buildings once stood in the shadow of the towering Bells Heap, a massive spoil tip that loomed over the area. The tunnel entrance to the mine remains sealed with bricks and concrete, offering only a haunting glimpse of the dark world that once existed beneath. It serves as a silent memorial to those who descended into the mine each day—some of whom never returned.

The Deerpark miners’ houses, originally built to accommodate workers and their families, remain occupied to this day, with many descendants of miners still living there. Stories persist among locals of phantom miners—spirits seen walking the old paths toward the footbridge, seemingly still trying to make their way home.

Part of the site is now the Castlecomer Discovery Park.