John "Jack" O'Connor

Interview with Emma Laffey on his life and interests.

Emma Laffey.

In this interview Jack O’Connor, who is aged 83 years of age and from Fiddane, Kilkerrin, gives a warm detailed insight into his life growing up and living in East Galway. Jack chats about his childhood, school, home life, work and his love of vintage machinery.

His father was a farmer and a business man. He had a truck company during the 1920/30s working on the building of roads all across the country. Jack remembers driving the trucks to help his father when he was just 8 years old. His father was also a target for the Black and Tans as he could easily move items or notes around with his truck and he relates a story of them calling to the home house during the troubles.

The family also had built a ballroom of romance where Jack shares some of the stories his father and grandfather shared with him. He has stories and songs he learned growing up about school and local events. You will see a number of photographs below connected with the interview.

You can also CLICK on the links to hear Jack’s interview and watch a video of Jack working the vintage machinery cutting winter oats in Mountbellew in August 2023.

A huge thank you to Jack for this brilliant interview and to his niece Mary Leighton for helping to facilitate it and of the course the tea!!