School: Clochar na Trócaire, Béal Átha 'n Fheadha (roll number 5215)

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1. Local Marriage Customs (continued)

   

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   fortune of the boy's own sister when she was getting married. Now if this girl that they were matchmaking for was in love with some boy that she wanted herself but that had no land in his own name, the girl met her lover on the sly before the match was finished. The matchmakers would usually come to the girls house to settle the matter and on many occasions this thing happened. When the matcher's were busy in the kitchen the girls lover came to the room window, the girl would find an excuse to go up to the room, the lover would take her out of the window and go off on horseback and get married on the sly. If the matchmakers succeeded in making the match they had a big wedding and a drag. The 'drag' was that after the marriage all the sidecars were arranged at the chapel with the bride and the bridegroom on the first sidecar. Then all the cars raced to the brides home and the first car home would get a bottle of homemade wiskey called poteen. Then a big dinner followed and after that an all night dance in a barn and boys and girls that were not sorted came dressed in disguise wearing straw on their hats and shoes. These were called Wattlers or Strawboys and they had a leader called a captain. He called for a dance with the bride and bridegroom then they danced for an hour or less and were not supposed to take drink

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. activities
      1. social activities (~7)
         1. rites of passage (~573)
            1. marriage (~4,283)

   Language

   English

   Informant

   Michael Ferguson

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   70

   Occupation

   Tailor

   Address

   Ardnaree or Shanaghy, Co. Mayo