Date of Birth: 17th January 1925

Place of Birth: Shanoule, Foulksmills, Co. Wexford

Date Interviewed: 11th November 2009

Summary: Bessie French O’Neill’s father died in 1927 leaving her mother to raise three small children. Her uncle helped look after their fifty acre farm. Bessie talks of the work that went on and how they lived without radio, TV or phone. They hardly ever had to buy in groceries as they were mostly self-sufficient. She remembers being taken on a week’s holidays to “Costa del Cullenstown”! She saw her first dead person in 1933 when a local was electrocuted after climbing a new electricity supply pole. In 1937 the community was shocked by the murder of local man Jimmy Redmond. His murderer, another local, was eventually caught and executed. Bessie used to cycle from Shanoule to school in Wexford on Monday morning and cycle home again on Friday. Bessie explains some of the words and expressions used locally.