School: Oldtown (roll number 7470)
- Location:
- Oldtown, Co. Dublin
- Teacher: M. Ní Ruanaidhe
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0787, Page 47
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- Games. June 28th, 1938. Girls and boys play a lot of games. The girls play "Gate tig", one girl runs after the others and each girl when she is caught catches hands with her, and the girl that is caught last, has the tig.
They also play Sticka Toffee. A girl tips another girl somewhere and wherever she tips her she must keep her hand on the place.
Another game they play is "Nuts in May". An equal number of girls go on each side. One side name a girl to be pulled over, and the other side names a girl to pull her over. The side that has the most girls win the game.
They also play "Follow my mother to Market". One girl is the mother, and she gives the others jobs to do before she goes to the market. Then they all follow her to the market, and when she comes back she beats them for following her.
They also play "Ghost in the garden". One girl will be the Ghost and another will be the mother [who?] will send them for something and the Ghost will run [?] them back. Then the mother will go herself andask the Ghost what does he want, and the ghost will say a needle and thread and the mother will say what do you want the needle and thread for, to sow my sack, what do you want the sack for, to carry sand, what do you want to carry sand for, to sharpen my knife, and what do you want to sharpen your knife for, to cut your throat.
The way in which to play frog in the well is all the children stand round in a big circle and someone has to stand in the middle and shut his eyes and tip someone. Whoever they tip must be the frog after them.
