Graham Irwin - The Gresford Disaster - with lyrics in the description

Graham Irwin sings The Gresford Disaster, accompanied on electro-acoustic guitar with an introduction on organ.
The song commemorates one of Britain's worst colliery disasters, at the Gresford mine in Denbighshire, north Wales. On 22 September 1934 an explosion in one of the mine shafts led to the death of 265 miners and three rescuers. The words are by Anon; the tune, named St Peter, was written by Alexander Robert Reinagle in 1836. Dennis was the name of one of the shafts, named after the wife of the managing director. The bodies of all but eight colliers remain buried down the pit.
An inquiry into the tragedy was inclusive, but the writer of the song (understandably anonymous) had no doubts as to the cause.
Photo by Andy Pierce, North Wales Miners - Gresford Disaster / nwmat
LYRICS:
You've heard of the Gresford Disaster
Of the terrible price that was paid
Two hundred and sixty-five colliers were lost
And three men of the rescue brigade.
It occurred in the month of September
At three in the morning, the pit
Was racked by a violent explosion
In the Dennis where gas lay so thick.
Now the gas in the Dennis deep section
Was packed there like snow in a drift
And many a man had to leave the coal-face
Before he had worked out his shift.
Now a fortnight before the explosion
To the shotfirer Tomlinson cried
"If you fire that shot we'll be all blown to hell!"
And no one can say that he lied.
Now the fireman's reports they are missing
The records of forty-two days;
The collier manager had them destroyed
To cover up his criminal ways.
Down there in the dark they are lying
They died for nine shillings a day;
They have worked out their shift and now they must lie
In the darkness until Judgement Day.
Now the Lord Mayor of London's collecting
To help out the children and wives;
While the owners have sent some white lilies
To pay for the poor colliers' lives.
Farewell, all our dear wives and our children
Farewell, all our comrades as well
Don't send your sons down the dark dreary mine
They'll be doomed like the sinners in hell.