‘I earn $55 an hour working in the mines of Australia – one year of this and I’ll have financial security’

Expat in Australia says mining has become a ‘life-changing option’ for young Irish women

Caithlín Hughes says she never wanted to leave Ireland but is earning much more in Australia

Kathy Donaghy

When Caithlín Hughes shared a TikTok video of her working day aboard a dump truck, she was flooded with messages from young people keen to follow suit.

The 26 year-old Derry woman works an arduous 12-hour day for two weeks straight driving the truck around mines in the remote Australian outback. But she earns more in a fortnight than she would earn in two months at home.