School: Bán-Tír (B.) (roll number 2803)

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1. Local Marriage Customs

   

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   Most marriages during Shrove. People never marry in May or August, or on Mondays, Wednesdays, or Fridays. It is considered unlucky to do so. Match making still goes on, and Tim Connors, Kilmacrane Banteer, better known as "Tim the Lord", very often makes money by it. He travels on horse back from district to district, finding out likely parties, particularly where there is a dowry. He makes as much as five pounds, if he succeeds, where the parties have money.
   On Sundays after Mass, he usually goes his rounds, and sometimes people come to his house, to set him at work, as he is a well known match-maker. The parties who are married never fail to invite a good fiddle-player, or other musician to the feast. The late John Murphy, Fortgrady, Banteer, was present at every wedding in this district, for that reason. He would get as much as ten-shillings for his music, and often the wedding guests, would make up a collection at the feast for him.
   It would be a poor feast, if twelve at least were not present. Often the house would be packed from door to door. Often the guests danced, drank, ate, and sang, for a whole day and a night. The custom is still observed in the Banteer district, but since the advent of the motor-car, the wedding procession is not what it used to be. Tinkers and travellers if in the district at the time, never fail to arrive at the homes of the bride and bride-groom.

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. activities
      1. social activities (~7)
         1. rites of passage (~573)
            1. marriage (~4,283)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   David Deady

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Garrane, Co. Cork

   Informant

   Denis Cronin

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   66

   Address

   Loughlea, Co. Cork