School: St. James, Barnacogue, Swinford
- Location:
- Barnacahoge, Co. Mayo
- Teacher: Tomás Ó Lorcáin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0116, Page 2
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- The best time of the year for marriages in Ireland is during Shrove, that is from New Years’ Day until Shrove Tuesday. Nowadays few matches are made in this locality. This was not so, however, in the past, especially among the country people.
In those days many matches were made on market or fair days. Each townland had its one matchmaker. It was usually a man who was chosen to do this important work as a woman was considered unlucky.
Any young man who wanted a wife make it his business to call on the matchmaker bringing with him a bottle of whiskey. They both then proceeded to a house in which there was a marriageable girl. The young fellow stayed outside and the matchmaker went in and of course made known his business. If he got a good reception the young man was brought in, the bottle was produced and the matchmaker started straight away. The man’s farm was praised and the woman’s dowry was fixed. The date of the marriage was fixed also.
The night before the marriage a wedding was held and the young lady invited two persons from every house in the locality. When the girl was outside the door they would throw the tongs at her for luck. They also used to make an oatmeal cake and(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Brigid O' Brian
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Killaturly, Co. Mayo
- Informant
- Mrs Duffy
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- 45
- Address
- Killaturly, Co. Mayo
