School: Taobh na Cruaiche (roll number 4494)
- Location:
- Teevenacroaghy, Co. Mayo
- Teacher: N. Ní Mhóráin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0138, Page 286
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- Marriage customs in Ireland fifty or sixty years ago were entirely different from the marriages of the present day. In those days match-making was a very practical way of bringing about marriage. If a man had a grown-up son who wished to get marriage and he knew where there was a girl who would be a good wife for his son, he would sent some trusted neighbour or friend to the girls father to ask the girl as a wife for his son. He usually hot the man a bottle of whiskey to take with him to the girls home. If the "match-maker" as this man was called, received a satisfactory answer from the girls gather a day was appointed for both parties to meet in the nearest town.
They went into a quiet sitting-room in the town publichouse. Drinks both intoxicating and temperant were partaken of freely and the financial position of both the young man and his intended wife were discussed and also their respective characters. Now, the girls dowry was usually money but very often if the father was not prepared to give a good sum of money he made up for it by giving his stock, mostly(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Mary Mc Greal
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Fahburren, Co. Mayo
- Informant
- Mr Thomas O' Malley
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 49
- Address
- Owenwee, Co. Mayo
