School: Sraith (roll number 16623)
- Location:
- Srah, Co. Galway
- Teacher: Séamus E. Ó Dubhghaill
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0050, Page 0183
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- XML “May Day”
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- On May eve nearly everyone stick the may pole, on the manure heap and in all their crops. The may pole is cut with a knife. There were no words said when sticking the may pole. On May days no body would let another person out with a coal in their pipe, afraid they would take the luck with them. Before the may pole would be stuck the sign of the cross with it.A cuckoo lamb is a lamb born late in the year, after the 24th April. The people say the lark that follows the cuckoo, is the bird that hatched that cuckoo.The people light a bonfire on St John's night , at some crossroads.The old and young people used to go from cross-roads to crossroads dancing and singing. Long ago the old people would select the nicest girl from the district to be queen of the may. She would dress up in lovely clothes, and they would be dancing and singing every night and the Queen of the May would be singing
Ill be Queen of the may mother
Ill be Queen of the may
Call me early mother dear
Tomorrow will be the happiest day
of all the glad new year
For Ill be Queen of the May mother
Ill be Queen of the May Marie Porter
- Collector
- Marie Porter
- Gender
- Female
