Sean O’Shea (aged 77)

This recording began with recollections of Sean O’Shea’s early days and his education. He entered the Civil Service in Carlow, having come from Tipperary, and he worked as a housing officer with the Urban Council for 20 years. He recalled the overcrowding of houses after the war years, and his responsibilities in the re-housing of people in the newly built Council estates. We spoke about piped water and septic tanks, which were innovations at the time, and which he helped to introduce locally. During Sean’s time he succeeded in paying off a big debt owed by the Council and this was one of the big achievements of his career. Finally, he spoke about the big changes which have taken place since his time as town clerk and the small staff numbers in former times with those in the local authorities today.