Andrew Vincent Cleary (b. 1928)

Track 1: Andrew Cleary recalls his early years in Phibsborough. His father and three uncles fought in the First World War, his father being a member of St John’s Ambulance Brigade. Track 2: Andrew joined Jacobs in 1949, remaining with the company for 44 years. He discusses the sporting facilities provided by Jacobs, including soccer and gaelic football. Track 3: He first worked in the Goods Inward Section, which he calls ‘the back gate’, and later moved to the New Street stores. Part of the work involved handling barrels of fat up to 40 stone in weight. His co-workers were Jimmy Robinson, Irish amateur heavyweight boxing champion at the time, and Brian Kearney, Irish amateur flyweight boxer, and many ‘coaching sessions’ and scuffles took place between these two. Track 4: Both of Andrew’s parents worked for Jacobs, and he himself worked at Carbery’s Coach Builders until it closed. He then worked for Alec Toms, Printers, as a proofreader, before finally joining Jacobs. Track 5: He was among the first group of employees to move from Bishop Street to the new factory in Tallaght, and he has a poignant memory of being the last to leave the Bishop Street premises on the day the final batch of biscuits was baked. He recounts memories, prompted by his daughter Sandra, of friendships made while working for Jacobs.