School: Rosaí (roll number 13332)
- Location:
- Rossy, Co. Leitrim
- Teacher: Pádhraic Ó Baoighill
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0211, Page 396
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- XML “Festival Customs”
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- An old custom is this district is to go around from house to house on St. Stephen's Day gathering money. In old times the crowd used to have adead wren and they would threaten to bury the wren at the door of the house that would not give them some money. At the present time the crowd of boys have no wren. If the wren was buried at the door it was supposed to bring ill-luck to the people of the house. The boys are dressed in straw and have false faces. Sometimes boys are dressed like girls and the girls play the parts of boys. They have musical instruments with them - a melodeon, a violin and a flute. Two three or four arrange themselves on the floor for a dance. When the music begins - generally an Irish reel - they dance for some time. Special dancers are selected for this and they often times acquit themselves very creditably. Sometimes they sing a song - an old Irish song - and when the performance is over they rattle a box for money. They get generally some money in every house and if they are refused they get bold and arrogant and leave the house with reluctance. At the end of the day they have a large sum of money and they divide it among(continues on next page)
- Informant
- Mrs James O Connell
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- 75
- Address
- Carrick, Co. Leitrim
