School: Ganntaigh (Ganty)

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1. Local Marriage Customs

   

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   In former times most of the people used to get married in Shrove, and on Shrove Tuesday especially. First of all the parents of the man and those of the girl used meet at some convenient place like a fair or market, and make a “match”. The parents of the man promised to surrender their farm on condition that they would get a suitable “fortune” from the girl. They used to keep a room in the house and were entitled to a yearly sum of money for their maintenance. When all details were settled a day was arranged for the marriage to take place and all their friends and neighbours were invited to it. About seventy or eighty years ago the marriage ceremony used take place in the house of the bride-groom but since then it takes place in the Church
   The people used ride on horse-back or ride in side-cars to the marriage. The man who was to be married used ride on the first horse and the girl in the last car. She was accompanied by her father, or an older brother, and by her bridesmaid. When the newly-married would come down from the altar after the ceremony, those present used to throw rice and old shoes at them. They used also hang an old shoe to the horse’s tail or mane because it was supposed to bring good luck. The people used to vie with each other to see which would have the best and fastest horse going and coming home from the

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. activities
      1. social activities (~7)
         1. rites of passage (~573)
            1. marriage (~4,283)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Maura Mac Namara

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Ganty, Co. Galway