School: Muine Dubh (Moneyduff) (roll number 9222)

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1. Festival Customs - May Day

   

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   On May eve May flowers are got and thrown at the dwelling house door and at all the out house doors after the sun sets to have luck with everything for the coming year but the flowers should not be taken into the house. On May morning when you get up you should not put on the fire until you see that your neighbours have it on first. Long ago people used to put on the fire and some of the [?] women of the district would get up out of bed, go out and get a rope or twine and say "that womans butter to me" so they used take the butter, and when the other person would churn she had no return of butter, that is the reason why you should not be first to have smoke on May morning. Milk should not be given either May day without putting a good quantity of salt on it, but that is only for a drink but if people want milk for tea or anything else and to buy it they should go for it on May eve. The reason it should not be given on May day is because they who are getting it might take the butter. In former times people used get up at four or five oclock on May morning to be the first at the well and everything they would meet on their way going and coming from the well, pieces of sticks and wisps they gathered them, the reason of going to the well first is, that your butter will not be

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   Topics

   1. events
      1. events (by time of year) (~11,476)
         1. May (~639)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Maureen Mc Sharry

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Mullagh, Co. Leitrim

   Informant

   Mrs Hugh Mc Sharry

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   48

   Address

   Mullagh, Co. Leitrim

   Informant

   Mrs James Donohue

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   68

   Address

   Mullagh, Co. Leitrim