School: Finiskill (roll number 13075)
- Location:
- Finiskil, Co. Leitrim
- Teacher: Cathal Ó Floinn
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0219, Page 383
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- (continued from previous page)were so imbued with the Lenten spirit of notification and self-denial that they voluntarily underwent much more exciting penitential exercises than these prescribed by the Church. For example, many people would abstein from eating anything each day until after mid-day. This penance of course was purely voluntary as there is no record of such an exercise having ever been laid down by the ecclesiastical authorities.
Furthermore, eggs, milk and fatty foods of any kind were never used upon Wednesdays or Fridays and indeed many pious people absteined from them altogether during this holy season. It is different to understand how the rural population of that time were able to maintain such a period of really severe fasting without injury to their health, but at any rate the general consumption of eggs upon Easter Sunday was no doubt due to the fact that the end of the Lenten season was looked upon as a time for indulging in a food which had been rigorously proscribed for the seven weeks previous to it.
Another feast day which had a special food peculiar to it was Hallow Eve night. Upon this night it was customary to indulge in a food known locally, and in other districts also as "colcannon". This food(continues on next page)
