School: Kildavin, Ferns
- Location:
- Kildavin, Co. Carlow
- Teacher: Tadhg de Brí
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0911, Page 247
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- On May-day the people long ago had certain customs. Some of their customs are carried out at the present time.
One of these customs is the May bush. On the evening before May Day the bush was got and planted in a field. The bush was decorated with coloured papers, primroses and May-flowers. They coloured egg-shells and put them on the May bush also. It was decorated on May day. Sometimes they had lighted candles decorating it. The children caught hands and danced around the bush. They played games and had tea.
One game they played was "Nuts in May". This is played by two rows of children opposite each other, with an equal number on each side. The children on one side sing, "Here we go gathering nuts in May, nuts in May this cold and frosty morning". The children on the other side sing, "Who will we have for nuts in May, nuts in May on this cold and frosty morning"? The children on the first row name a child. Then the girls on the second side sing "Who will we have to take her away, to take her away on this cold and frosty morning"? The first row name another child. They then draw a line between and the two chosen would pull. The child who(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Eily Harmon
- Gender
- Female
- Informant
- Mrs Kelly
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- 73
- Occupation
- Farmer's wife
- Address
- Drumderry, Co. Wexford
