School: Clochar na Trócaire, Béal Átha na Sluagh
- Location:
- Ballinasloe, Co. Galway
- Teacher: Sr. M. Oiliféar
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0029, Page 0139
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- Festival Customs1. In Ireland the people have certain customs peculiar to the different feasts, which they look forward to with great pleasure.
On Christmas Eve coloured candles are lit on every window of their houses. The houses are also decorated with holly, ivy and mistletoe and other decorations. The people give presents and letters of greetings to their friends. It is a time of great festivity.
The next feast-day is St. Stephen's Day. Boys and men go around gathering money for to bury the wren. Those people are known as the "wren boys". They go around from house to house dancing and singing while one of them gathers the money. They all dress up in very funny costumes with masks, hats and old clothes. This is one of the ballads I heard them singing.(continues on next page)
- Informant
- Miss Eily Ahern
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Garbally Demesne, Co. Galway
