Date of Birth: 7th January 1933

Place of Birth: Ranelagh, Dublin

Date Interviewed: 10th October 2008

Summary: In Part One Keith Collie talks of his father who came from Aberdeenshire in Scotland and had a huge influence on him. His father was a master watchmaker and passed his knowledge on to Keith. He was also a soldier who fought in WW1 and was left blind for 6 months after being gassed in the trenches. Keith talks about life at home on the outskirts of Dublin. The house had no electricity. He describes how they churned their own butter, caught rabbits for the pot and were generally self-sufficient for food. He remembers the impact of the big snowfall of 1947. The family were stranded in the house for some time as the snow rose to roof level. Keith believes that it was his father’s experiences with snow in the Scottish Highlands that brought him safely home during the height of the snow storm. In Part Two Keith recalls the hardships he faced, aged 21, when both his parents were ill and he had to take over their house mortgage and the household bills. He also carried out his father’s contracts each morning before he went into his own job in Jacob’s biscuit factory. He becomes emotional as he remembers the health official who interviewed him about the situation and who then paid off his outstanding debts. Keith qualified as an industrial engineer and eventually worked for Cement Roadstone Holdings from 1971 to 1993. When it came to time to consider retiring they opted for Wexford as an ideal sized town and have been happy here for the past 11 years. Keith’s Christian beliefs led him to Wexford’s Presbyterian Church. When the church building in Anne Street was damaged during local construction work services were temporarily relocated to the Ferrycarrig Hotel. Compensation and donations made it possible to restore the church.