School: Killyfargy

Location:: Killyfargy, Co. Monaghan
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Archival Reference

The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0947, Page 021

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A Country Dance

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When the flax was in the barn there used to be about ten girls employed for seven days in the winter time scutching it. It was around this time that the dances used to take place. When the girls would be finished with their day's work (about 8 oclock at night) there would gather in men and women for a dance. The dance took place out in the barn. The barn would be cleared and then the dance would start. The principal dance in those days was the four hand reel; that was before polka came. They would dance away until morning. During the dance the fellows would subscribe a "bob" each and would send for whisky and "soft stuff." The whisky would be brought and each person received three glasses. Anybody that didnt take whisky got "soft stuff." The good humour would only start when the whisky was bought. They would dance away like this until the early hours of the morning.
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Topics
1. activities
  social activities (~7)
  entertainments and recreational activities (~5,933)
Language

English
Collector
Michael Moore
Gender

Male

Informant
John O' Neill
Gender

Male
Address

Lisnalee, Co. Monaghan
A Country Dance

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N.B.
When a dance was held in a house the guests were served with refreshments of all kinds, including some drink. Then the guests collected among themselves and got more drink. This was called a "join" as described above. A dance of this kind was called a spree. This custom,

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Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
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