I’m a Kerry man, but I live in Swords in north county Dublin. I’m 89 now.
I was born Patrick Joseph White. My father was Patrick White or Pats White. We had to differentiate between one and the other, so my name was Joseph. Then it advanced and became Joe. When I came to Dublin, I was known as Paddy, but down south they call me Joe. So, I suppose, Joe White would be the most popular one. But, when I was on the bike, it was Paddy White.
I’m from a place called Bracaragh. It’s south Kerry, between Waterville and Castlecove. I never realised the beauty of where I was reared until I was away for many years. I travelled a lot of the world with my job, but when I went back down there and looked around, the beauty was unbelievable.
You get fine weather down in Kerry, there’s no place like it. If you draw a line between Killorglin and Kenmare, south of that is the real Kerry. Down south, you had to work hard to live down there.
My mother died when I was 12. Years later my brother was killed in the Korean War, John. My father used to get a job with the county council once a year for a couple of months. That was great, it kept us going for a while. My father, of course, was a fisherman. We survived on fish. We had no meat, because it had to be sold to get the money.
The land we had wasn’t very good. We had 20 acres of land. Most of it was mountain and the rest of it was boggy. We used to grow our own spuds, cabbage and things like that.
Dublin
I left school after the national school. I came up to Dublin at 15 or 16 on my own, with a half crown in my pocket. There was no work in Kerry. I got work in an electrical shop and I was putting the aerials up on roofs. A half-crown a week was my pay.
I headed off and I joined the army then. I was down the Curragh for a while and the next thing a job came up in the air corps for apprentices and I went for that, aircraft engineering and maintenance. The apprenticeship was nine years.
Joe White set a cycling record in 1954 when he was the first man in the world to cycle 100 miles under four hours
When I was in the air corps, I was cycling. I was cycling from 1950 to 1954. In that period I won the 100-mile All-Ireland three years in a row. I was also selected for the Dublin minor football panel at one stage when I first came to Dublin. I got several trials. I never played a full championship match. I gave up football and I took up cycling. Cycling was my love.
I set a record in 1954. I was the first man in the world to cycle 100 miles under four hours at that time. It was never recognised, because the organisation I was with was the National Cycling Association of Ireland. They were affiliated to the GAA and the GAA were an all-Ireland body, 32 counties. They were barred from international competition, because it was said they shouldn’t be recognising the six counties.
I had the overall lead taken and I crashed badly with a car during the stage between Ennis and Galway
I could never ride the bike from the day I crashed in 1954. I was nearly killed. It was in the Rás Tailteann that year. I had the overall lead taken and I crashed badly with a car during the stage between Ennis and Galway. I got back up and cycled to the finish line in Galway.
I went into hospital and I spent a long time there. A doctor eventually told me the ligaments in my leg had come away from the bone. He said: “Give up, you’re finished.” And that was it.
I’ve written all about my life in a new book, The Ghost Rider and I. All the profits are going to Cahersiveen Hospice. I’m still very connected to Kerry.
Career
I took the fall in my stride. The army were very, very good to me. They looked after me well. I got up to company sargent.
I left the air corps and I went into Aer Lingus. I did fabulously in Aer Lingus. After about five years, there was an ad in the paper. The Government were looking for an aeronautical inspector. I went for it. Would you believe it, I got the job. I nearly dropped dead when I got it.
I worked my way up in the Civil Service. Anywhere there was a new aircraft coming on, my job was to go out and certify it. Also, we were joining the EU [then EEC] that time, so I had to make sure we were in line with their regulations. I was promoted to chief aeronautical inspector of the Aviation Authority. The top job, I got it. I travelled the world with it.
Kathleen, she was the love of my life. She was a Dublin girl
Kathleen was thrilled with it, my wife. She didn’t lose her head or anything, she was a very sensible woman. She kept my feet on the ground.
TDs – I had nothing to do with them. As soon as they came to me looking for something, I said: “That’s enough, don’t come near me again, if you do I’ll report you.” If word got out you were a softie, they’d make a show of you. You’d be sacked.
Kathleen, she was the love of my life. She was a Dublin girl. She’s left me now for the last 11 years. She passed away.
I was on my own and I had to fight my way. But when I met this girl Kathleen, I was the luckiest man on this Earth
We have a family of three girls and one boy. They all did very well, thanks be to God. The credit for that is to Kathleen, because I was away. I might be in California, I might be in Seattle. When I retired, it was payback time, we travelled the world together.
When I came to Dublin first, I had nobody to look after me. I was on my own and I had to fight my way. But when I met this girl Kathleen, I was the luckiest man on this Earth that I met her. I can’t get her out of my mind. She was a beautiful woman, that’s all.
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I’m a Kerry man, but I live in Swords in north county Dublin. I’m 89 now.
I was born Patrick Joseph White. My father was Patrick White or Pats White. We had to differentiate between one and the other, so my name was Joseph. Then it advanced and became Joe. When I came to Dublin, I was known as Paddy, but down south they call me Joe. So, I suppose, Joe White would be the most popular one. But, when I was on the bike, it was Paddy White.
I’m from a place called Bracaragh. It’s south Kerry, between Waterville and Castlecove. I never realised the beauty of where I was reared until I was away for many years. I travelled a lot of the world with my job, but when I went back down there and looked around, the beauty was unbelievable.
You get fine weather down in Kerry, there’s no place like it. If you draw a line between Killorglin and Kenmare, south of that is the real Kerry. Down south, you had to work hard to live down there.
My mother died when I was 12. Years later my brother was killed in the Korean War, John. My father used to get a job with the county council once a year for a couple of months. That was great, it kept us going for a while. My father, of course, was a fisherman. We survived on fish. We had no meat, because it had to be sold to get the money.
The land we had wasn’t very good. We had 20 acres of land. Most of it was mountain and the rest of it was boggy. We used to grow our own spuds, cabbage and things like that.
Dublin
I left school after the national school. I came up to Dublin at 15 or 16 on my own, with a half crown in my pocket. There was no work in Kerry. I got work in an electrical shop and I was putting the aerials up on roofs. A half-crown a week was my pay.
I headed off and I joined the army then. I was down the Curragh for a while and the next thing a job came up in the air corps for apprentices and I went for that, aircraft engineering and maintenance. The apprenticeship was nine years.
Joe White set a cycling record in 1954 when he was the first man in the world to cycle 100 miles under four hours
When I was in the air corps, I was cycling. I was cycling from 1950 to 1954. In that period I won the 100-mile All-Ireland three years in a row. I was also selected for the Dublin minor football panel at one stage when I first came to Dublin. I got several trials. I never played a full championship match. I gave up football and I took up cycling. Cycling was my love.
I set a record in 1954. I was the first man in the world to cycle 100 miles under four hours at that time. It was never recognised, because the organisation I was with was the National Cycling Association of Ireland. They were affiliated to the GAA and the GAA were an all-Ireland body, 32 counties. They were barred from international competition, because it was said they shouldn’t be recognising the six counties.
I had the overall lead taken and I crashed badly with a car during the stage between Ennis and Galway
I could never ride the bike from the day I crashed in 1954. I was nearly killed. It was in the Rás Tailteann that year. I had the overall lead taken and I crashed badly with a car during the stage between Ennis and Galway. I got back up and cycled to the finish line in Galway.
I went into hospital and I spent a long time there. A doctor eventually told me the ligaments in my leg had come away from the bone. He said: “Give up, you’re finished.” And that was it.
I’ve written all about my life in a new book, The Ghost Rider and I. All the profits are going to Cahersiveen Hospice. I’m still very connected to Kerry.
Career
I took the fall in my stride. The army were very, very good to me. They looked after me well. I got up to company sargent.
I left the air corps and I went into Aer Lingus. I did fabulously in Aer Lingus. After about five years, there was an ad in the paper. The Government were looking for an aeronautical inspector. I went for it. Would you believe it, I got the job. I nearly dropped dead when I got it.
I worked my way up in the Civil Service. Anywhere there was a new aircraft coming on, my job was to go out and certify it. Also, we were joining the EU [then EEC] that time, so I had to make sure we were in line with their regulations. I was promoted to chief aeronautical inspector of the Aviation Authority. The top job, I got it. I travelled the world with it.
Kathleen, she was the love of my life. She was a Dublin girl
Kathleen was thrilled with it, my wife. She didn’t lose her head or anything, she was a very sensible woman. She kept my feet on the ground.
TDs – I had nothing to do with them. As soon as they came to me looking for something, I said: “That’s enough, don’t come near me again, if you do I’ll report you.” If word got out you were a softie, they’d make a show of you. You’d be sacked.
Kathleen, she was the love of my life. She was a Dublin girl. She’s left me now for the last 11 years. She passed away.
I was on my own and I had to fight my way. But when I met this girl Kathleen, I was the luckiest man on this Earth
We have a family of three girls and one boy. They all did very well, thanks be to God. The credit for that is to Kathleen, because I was away. I might be in California, I might be in Seattle. When I retired, it was payback time, we travelled the world together.
When I came to Dublin first, I had nobody to look after me. I was on my own and I had to fight my way. But when I met this girl Kathleen, I was the luckiest man on this Earth that I met her. I can’t get her out of my mind. She was a beautiful woman, that’s all.
Read more
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Ardattin Embroidery putting its name on the map
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