School: Árd an Rátha (M.) (roll number 1733 or 12242)

Location:
Ard an Rátha, Co. Donegal
Teacher:
Sinéad, Bean Uí Ghibhín
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1041, Page 266

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1041, Page 266

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  1. XML School: Árd an Rátha (M.)
  2. XML Page 266
  3. XML “A Tinker's Wedding”

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  1. About 40 years ago Hughie O'Donnell, the tinker was married to Biddy McConnell, another tinker's daughter. They had no dwelling of their own in which to hold the wedding reception, so the first thing to be done was to plan the meeting place for the wedding. this was no small affair as those of the tinker trade had to be invited as well as all friends and relatives.. the townland of Crumlin was selected as the meeting place while the ceremony was to take place in Ardara chapel. On the wedding eve, the invited guests began to arrive from all arts & parts; from the Rosses in the north-west of Donegal to Glencolumkille in the south west from Letterkenny on the east to Inver in the south - whole families came with their beds & bedding, donkeys and carts, friends and enemies-dancing fiddling, singing, quarrelling in true tinker fashion.
    Forty donkey carts arrived in Crumlin that evening and the houses in the district came in for some abuse from the drunken crowds. Stones were thrown & other missiles which caused the police to intervene. several arrests were made & the prisoners were conveyed on donkey carts to the local barrack, where the scene can better be imagined than described.
    The next morning saw a great parade- all on foot- to the chapel & then back to the wedding house.
    (continues on next page)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. activities
      1. social activities (~7)
        1. rites of passage (~573)
          1. marriage (~4,283)
    Language
    English
    Informant
    Andrew Lockhart
    Gender
    Male
    Age
    63
    Address
    Drumaghy, Co. Donegal