School: St Columba's, Cloonagh, Granard (roll number 12813)
- Location:
- Cloonagh, Co. Longford
- Teacher: Peter O'Reilly
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0762, Page 309
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- (continued from previous page)The brides also dress according to the old saying:-
Something old, Something new
Something borrowed & something blue.
There is an old saying used around here to taunt an old maid "Ah you let "Siratf" in on you." and there was one old lady used to reply "There never came a Siraft but there came a [?]."
Straw boys visit the homes with straw ropes tied around their legs and a round the body they wear a straw jacket made of straw ropes woven through other. They wear an old hat and a false face or an old cloth or veil over the face. Sometimes they blacken their faces and they are not very welcome visitors but they only get money or drink more through fear than love of them in order to get them away quickly
They are never called straw boys around here but band-beggers.
- Informant
- Mr John Kiernan
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 73
- Address
- Cloonagh, Co. Longford
