Date of Birth: 25th August 1943

Place of Birth: Oulartard, Ferns, Co. Wexford

Date Interviewed: 6th July 2009

Summary: In Part One Jim Somers talks of his first memories – the big snowfall of 1947. His grandfather had purchased a local mill in 1893 and he remembers how noisy it was. Jim worked at different jobs; barman in Dublin, shop assistant in Armstrong’s of Enniscorthy, and helping a vet test cattle for TB. He decided to go to England and got his first job working on a 29 storey building in Moorgate. It was also in London that he got his first taste of curry! He became a skilled scaffolder and worked on some of the big construction projects in London. He met his wife Kathleen at one of the Irish dance clubs at this time. In Part Two Jim talks about some of the characters he met in England such as boxer Jack Doyle. Jim and Kathleen married in 1971 and returned to Oulartard in 1975. His knowledge of his home area is extensive and he talks of the people, their activities, their history and their music. Jim remembers when summertime was first introduced and can identify the first council cottage in the area. The threshing dances were great social events and Jim remembers being involved in what was probably the last threshing in the parish.