School: Árd-chill
- Location:
- Ardkill More, Co. Cavan
- Teacher: Bean Uí Chonalláin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0978, Page 173
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- XML “Festival Customs - How St Stephen's Day is Observed in this District”
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- (continued from previous page)with the wren" when they were boys and they never object to us practising the same custom. Every year as St. Stephen's Day comes round, pairs of boys may be met with on every road and lane or seen crossing the fields to some homestead saying the wren song.
If the wren was ever chased or caught in this district it must be a very long time ago. The cruel custom has long died out. A few feathers represent the bird on a box tied to as tick.
Schools boys from about seven to fourteen years go with the wren. They go around in pairs sometimes two brothers. One penny or two pence is what they usually get at each house. But they dont object if they get silver nor do they grumble if they get nothing. Very seldom are they refused unless when pockets run scanty.
Only when night begins to fall to they return home. The days takings are carefully counted and divided evenly, and left aside for pocket money by tired but happy "Wren boys."
- Collector
- James Joseph Conlon
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Drumnalaragh, Co. Cavan
