School: Mullach Buí (roll number 2793)
- Location:
- Castletowncooley, Co. Louth
- Teacher: Micheál De Búrca
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0658, Page 266
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- XML “Festival Customs”
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- There are many festivals in the year. I like St Stephen's Day best of all. St Stephen's Day always occurs on the 26th December. It is a day that young people look forward to with pleasure. Young people dress themselves in fancy attire, paint their faces, and go about in groups from house to house carrying sticks and musical instruments. They usually sing the wren-song, the words of which are as follows:-
The wren, the wren, the king of all birds
On Stephen's Day was caught in the furze.
Although she was little her family was gay.
A treat, a treat for every man,
And give us some money to bury the wren.
Then they get some money which they share among themselves.
New Year's Day is another important festival. On that day people make resolutions for the New Year. Some people would not pay out money on that day, because they would be afraid that they would have to pay out money every day in the year. On New Year's Eve at midnight bands go out ringing the Old Year out and the New Year in. In some parts of the country people say that Christmas does not end until after the Twelfth Day. The period between the Twelfth Day and Ash Wednesday is called Shrove, and during that period more marriages take place than at any other time(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Evelyn M. Burke
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Castletowncooley, Co. Louth
