School: Sean Bhaile Árd (roll number 14663)
- Location:
- Shanballard, Co. Galway
- Teacher: Tomás Ó Murchadha
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0083, Page 297
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- (continued from previous page)Frog in the middle: This game is played indoors as well as outdoors. All the children with the exception of one make a circle or ring and the other one stands in the centre and closes her eyes. Those in the ring twist round and round crying, "frog in the middle you can't catch me". The child in the centre then rushes about the ring trying to catch somebody, but as her eyes are closed they often elude her grasp for a long time. This game always provides great fun because the person whose eyes are closed rushes hither and thither about the ring grasping at the air and those in the ring shriek with delight when someone whom the "frog" hopes to catch glides away from her grasp just in time.
He la Luke: This game is always played outdoors as it requires a large amount of space. The members make a line one behind the other with one at their head who leads them. Two other children then catch hands facing each other and each one chooses what he would like to have best. They then aquaint those in the line of the objects they wish for without making known which person wishes for each object. The "conductors" then hold up their arms leaving a space underneath for the others to pass through and those in the line pass one by one out underneath while the conductors repeat the following rhyme; "He la Luke and he la John everyone pass but the very last man". When all but the last person have passed he stands in the space between the "conductors" and is asked which of the objects he prefers and he then stands behind the person who has wished for the object which he prefers. When all the members have(continues on next page)
