Date of Birth: Not Disclosed

Place of Birth: 8 King Street, Wexford

Date Interviewed: 16th March 2011

Summary: Peter O’Leary grew up in King Street in Wexford. Their three-storey house was at the rear of the Capitol Cinema. He recalls their home being badly flooded in November 1947. His mother had to wade through chest-high water on the ground floor to rescue their cat! Peter’s grandfather Michael died as a result of an assault by an RIC officer during the 1911 Lockout. At that time Michael O’Leary worked in Castlebridge and walked the distance to and from work. He was 58 years of age when he died and left a widow and sixteen children – Peter’s father being the youngest. Peter followed in his father’s footsteps and worked for a time in the Wexford Engineering Company, one of the firms involved in the 1911 Lockout. In the second part of the interview Peter talks about the family’s move to London, which allowed him to study at several musical institutions where he further developed his singing talents. He performed on stage at Wexford’s Theatre Royal during several Opera Festivals and was recorded by RTE. Peter chooses two of his recordings to conclude the interview.