Date of Birth: 21st May 1941

Place of Birth: Camross, Foulksmills, Co. Wexford

Date Interviewed: 18th November 2009

Summary: Paddy O’Reilly grew up in Camross and can remember his father putting blackout blankets over the windows during WW2. He went barefoot in summer and recalls the lovely feeling of tar oozing up between his toes on the road. He served as an altar boy and learned to recite the mass in Latin. Paddy applied for the Irish Army apprentice school. He arrived in Naas in 1957 where he was issued with a uniform and swore an oath of allegiance. Paddy describes the routine of army life. He left after serving his nine years and worked on buildings in Dublin. His army training proved useful when he did the explosive effects for the movie ‘The Blue Max’ which was filmed in Ireland. He became a teacher and taught in Enniscorthy Vocational College.