Reference
X214/12/17a-b
Title
Transcript of interviews with John Thomas Patrick Horan, born 24 Apr 1955 in Finglas, Dublin, Ireland
Date free text
21 Mar 2009 and 17 July [No year]
Production date
From: 1955 To: 2009
Scope and Content
X214/12/17a
Father was mostly away working in England.
Has 3 sisters. Lived next door to aunt and 4 cousins, so were always in and out of each others houses.
Recalls being punished for taking washing off people's clothes lines and giving it to the rag and bone man.
Father worked on building of the M1 motorway as a navvy, like lots of Irish men. When they got to Luton Vauxhall Motors was expanding and wanted a bigger labour force. A lot of people, including John's father, gave up working on the roads and settled in Luton, bringing his wife and children over to join him in 1959.
The children were told they were going on a big holiday. Describes the journey.
At first, stayed with an uncle at Bury Park, but then got a house at Sundon Park.
Settled quickly and made friends.
Went to St. Josephs infant school and primary school, which is where most of the Irish children went. It was very strict with frequent use of the cane. Did not do so well at Lealands High School which was the secondary school he attended.
Played football in Sundon Park and went into the fields where Marsh Farm is now. Would fish for sticklebacks in the river Lea and ride bicycles out into the countryside.
Did return to Ireland for hilidays in the school holidays and 'Vauxhall fortnight'. Also recalls a holiday in Cromer, Norfolk, staying in a caravan. Also visiting relatives in Leicester.
Left Luton about 16 years ago, and returned nearly two years ago; most old school friends have moved away.
Recalls going water skiing at Biggleswade with a Latvian friend and his family. Reference to other school friends.
Describes relationship with sisters.
Describes religious upbringing, Christmas and Easter.
Worked at Electrolux but was made redundant in 1981, and didn't work much during the 1980's. Did a degree as a mature student. Marriage broke up. Had to leave Luton as there was no work. Did some voluntary work doing welfare rights advice. Got involved in disability rights and issues and then got a job in Hammersmith with 'Hammersmith and Fulham Action for Disability' and moved to London.
X214/12/17b [Much repeats information in X214/12/17a; only additional details below]
Is called John after an uncle who died of TB at the age of 4. Confirmation name is Patrick, after his father. Also has the baptism name of Thomas, after paternal grandfather. Sometimes called Sean, the Irish version of John. Horan originates from the Connacht region where paternal grandparents are from.
Parents met and married in Dublin. Father was from Galway and mother from Castleblayney in Monaghan. Father had been a coastguard in the Irish Army.
Lived in what is called a Corporation House in Finglas Park. In had a long garden with a bomb crater at the end and a small stream running through it.
Mother started a clothes shop in Dublin with her two sisters, Una and Bridie. Seemed to stop when she got married and had children. She had also been a teacher.
At 6 o'clock would be called in by mother to say the Angelus. This was the same for everyone. De Valera was president at the time; it was more or less a theocracy. Did not have a television at the time, but knows that later the television station RTE would stop programmes for the Angelus.
Describes going to church services. It was expected in a lot of families that somebody would go into the presthood.
There was little work in Ireland; England was thought of as a rich place where people went and got money.
At age 19 went to work in a shipyard in Cobh, near Cork, Ireland; it was the place the Irish left from when they emigrated during the famine. There is a sadness in the emigration from Ireland. Still feels sad when leaving Ireland after a holiday.
There was hostility against Irish people when they first arrived in Luton.
A lot of the local children went to Sundon Park School; St. Josephs, the Catholic school where John went, was a bus ride away, and the newly arrived Irish children went there. Therefore John had local friends from where he lived, and school friends from all over Luton.
John considers he had a good education at St. Josephs; when he move to Lealands High School he knew a lot more than others who had not been to St. Josephs. Describes the authority. Reference to the headmistess and other teachers.
Lealands had a swimming pool and good games facilities.
Describes childhood friends, including outings with Latvian frien Janis.
After High School went to sixth form college in Badgers Hill to do A levels, but only stayed a few months - was envious of working friends who had money and could go out. Worked for Wimpey builders for a while, then went hitch hiking with a friend in France, Belgium and Holland. Would come home, do a few odd jobs and then go travelling again. This was in the early 1970s when there were lots of jobs.
Aged 19, went back to Ireland to live with Uncle Owen in Dublin. Had been unsettled at home and living in digs. Had to leave when Uncle's estranged wife returned. Worked in Dublin doing therman insulation with Cape Insulations. Then got a job in Cork and worked in the ship yard for 6 months putting insulation in the ships.
In Cork was known as 'Johnny Luton.' After 6 months the contract ran out and had to leave Cork. Went back to Dublin and stayed with cousins, then got a flat in Parnell Square. Got made redundant; could not find work and was avoiding the landlord and sitting in the dark with no money for rent or the meter. Therefore came back to England.
Got a job at Electrolux and got married. Was made redundant from Electrolux in the early 1980s, and had a long period of unemployment. It was the time of high unemployment and the three day week.
Became a student; did A level at evening class then went to Hadfirld Polytechnic and did a degree in humanities.
No work in Luton so went to London in 1990; came back to Luton in 2006. Marriage had broken up and had 2 children, so visited Luton to see them.
Spent 10 years with Hammersmith and Fulham Action for Disability. Describes the work helping people to claim benefits they were entitiled to. Describes disability rights campaign and involvement in it. Subsequently worked for Hammersmith & Fulham community transport trying to get accessible transport for the disabled. Felt it was about fighting social isolation.
Now back in Luton doing welfare rights at Luton Rights. Finds the work very satisfying.
Considers that his degree gave him the confidence to go for better jobs, though has not needed the specific education it provided. Did not want to work for a big profit making organisation; feels he is contributing something working in the non-profit social enterprises sector. His degree allowed himto put his idealism into practice.
Turned against Catholicism and is now a Quaker. Discusses his faith and beliefs.
Level of description
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