Date of Birth: 10th April 1930

Place of Birth: Yoletown, Ballycullane, New Ross, Co. Wexford

Date Interviewed: 15th July 2011

Summary: Johnny Furlong recalls walking barefoot to school in Ballycullane. He remembers the war years when, during winter storms, he could hear mines exploding as they washed up on the coast. He and his brother were digging spuds when two planes passed overhead on their way to bomb Campile Creamery. At seventeen he was doing work for the Council but took the chance to go to England where his first job was on the railway. He then went labouring and worked for McAlpines. He remembers one particular day when three men were killed in separate incidents on the site he was working on. Eventually Johnny became a digger driver and this work took him all over the UK. He married Maureen in London and they decided to return to Ireland as they did not want to raise their children in England. Johnny felt that the Irish in England were regarded as “Paddys” and “foreigners”.