School: Swords (B.) (roll number 755)
- Location:
- Swords, Co. Dublin
- Teacher: A. Hamill
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0788, Page 156
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- XML Page 156
- XML “Festival Customs”
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- Festival Customs
There are several Irish feast days in which Festival Customs are held such as st Stephens day, St Brigid day, St Patrick's day, Srove Tuesday, May day and Easter.
St Stephen day falls on 26th Dec. On this day the boys and men of the district gather together and go round from house to house playing music and singing. First of all a number of boys get together and each one of them disguises his face. Then they go round singing and they also have some musical instrument. Before they go into the houses each boy has a separate part to act. when they come to a house each boy goes in alone and acts his part. When they all acted the play music and sing.
The verses of one of the songs are;
The wren, the wren, the king of all birds,
On st Stephens day she was caught in the furze,
although she is little her family is great,(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Joseph O' Reilly
- Gender
- Male
- Occupation
- Pupil
- Address
- Swords, Co. Dublin
- Informant
- Joseph O' Reilly
- Relation
- Unknown
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 63
- Address
- Swords, Co. Dublin
