School: Balscadden (roll number 9492)

Location:
Balscaddan, Co. Dublin
Teachers:
P. Ó Séaghdha Francis Shaw
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0783, Page 175

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0783, Page 175

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  1. XML School: Balscadden
  2. XML Page 175
  3. XML “Our Local Feast Days”

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  1. St. Stephen's Day is kept in honour of St. Stephen's. On that night the boys dress themselves up in old clothes and falseface and goes from house to house collecting money to bury the wren, they also sing the wren song. The wren, the wren, the king of all bird's on St. Stephen's Day he was caught in the furze. Up with the kettle and down with the pan. A penny or twopence to bury the wren. On st. Patrick eve the boys and girls go out in the fields and gather shamrock and put it in water until the next morning to keep it fresh. The 15th August is kept in honour of the assumption of our Blessed Lady in to Heaven, and it is the pattern day of Balscadden and people of Balscadden go to the graveyard to dress the graves of their dead friends. On May Day every girl go from house to house collecting candles for the May bush. Then we cut a bush and we dig hole in the ground and put the bush down in it, then we decarate (sic) the bush with flowers and candles, and when it is ready we sing the May hymns around the May bush. Janie Larkin ST VI
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. events
      1. events (by time of year) (~11,476)
    Language
    English
    Collector
    Janie Larkin
    Gender
    Female