Date of Birth: 4th January 1940

Place of Birth: Laney, Ardattin, Tullow, Co. Carlow

Date Interviewed: 20th August 2009

Summary: Joe Hickey grew up on a 54-acre farm on the side of a hill. Amazingly he says his first memory is of the sound of a WW2 plane dropping bombs locally when he was just 12 months old! As an only child Joe was expected to do lots of work around the farm and he recalls having to bring in cows for milking using an oil lantern to light the way. He has farmed all his life but also has a keen interest in engineering. This interest led him to buy and repair combine harvesters. Joe recalls some of the models he owned and the different harvesting techniques used in those times. One combine harvester operator spent several days and nights working non-stop to avail of a dry spell of weather. Joe is very involved in the storytelling movement and recites one of his favourites – a Patsy O’Hagan composition called The Holiday in The Sun.