School: Killough (roll number 9540)
- Location:
- Cill Uailleach, Co. na hIarmhí
- Teacher: Mary Lynch
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0726, Page 224
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- XML School: Killough
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- XML “Saint Stephen's Day”
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- On St. Stephen's day it is a customary for the children of this locality to go round with the wren. A pas-time in which boys and girls take part.
They dress in very funny clothes and they wear false faces. They go from house to house singing songs, dancing and playing music. The people of the house give them money. Some of the "Wren Boys" go walking, some go on bicycles, and in towns they go in motor cars.
The wren-song that they sing is
The wren, the wren the king of all birds,
St. Stephen's day was caught int he furze,
Up with the kettle, and down with the pan,
Give me a copper to bury the wren.
- Collector
- Mary Anne Callan
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Williamstown (Rochford), Co. na hIarmhí
