School: Meelick (C.)
- Location:
- Meelick, Co. Clare
- Teacher: Bean Uí Mhórdha
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0597, Page 326
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- Long ago people never got married except in Shrove. The unlucky months for getting married are April and September. People say that the night before a pair got married they should neither meet nor speak after midnight. Matches are made for farmers' daughters and sons as they have to bring in stock or money to keep the farm going. I do not know if marriages were ever carried out in the houses. On the day of the marriage there was always great sport. It is said that people went on horseback to the chapel and raced home for the one who arrived at the house first got a bottle of stout. This was called the bottle race. The best singer also got a bottle of stout. People generally wore blue and white as they said it was lucky. The bride did not go to her new home until a month after the marriage. Then they had the "drag home".
- Informant
- Mr Alfred Coffey
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 50
- Address
- Creval Park, Co. Limerick
