School: Séipéal na Carraige (roll number 5478)
- Location:
- Rockchapel, Co. Cork
- Teacher: Donncha Ó Géibheannaigh
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0351, Page 175
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- XML School: Séipéal na Carraige
- XML Page 175
- XML “Matchmaking”
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- Match making
It is generally known in the country, when a farmer is thinking of giving up his farm to his son, and there are various rumours as to the "fortune" he expects.
Anybody who is anxious for the place for a daughter of his, generally gets a neighbour to go to the farmer as a "feeler". If it looks reasonable, and suitable for the girl, another visit is arranged and the girl's father and some knowledgeable man go along. The find out the amount of money, the number of cows and horses, how much and what, the old couple are keeping. Then they walk the land.
If they are pleased, they arrange to meet at a certain public-house in Newmarket. The girl's father and mother, the boy's father and mother and a friend or two at each side. They spend the day arguing and bargaining. The girl's father and mother trying their best to lower the fortune, by finding faults with the land or house, and getting as much as possible to be passed over to the son. Everything is gone into,(continues on next page)
- Collector
- John Murphy
- Gender
- Male
- Informant
- Mrs Buckley
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Rockchapel, Co. Cork
