School: Druim Bréan Lios (roll number 15029)
- Location:
- Drumbreanlis, Co. Leitrim
- Teacher: Eibhlín Nic Ghuidhir
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0228, Page 095
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- XML School: Druim Bréan Lios
- XML Page 095
- XML “St John's Eve”
- XML “St Stephen's Day”
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- (continued from previous page)After supper the old people came out to the bonfire. Some leaning on sticks. All remained around the pile till it was nearly burned out. Then the woman of the house got a shovel, put the cinders on it and brought it to her own house for luck. If more than one family attended the same bonfire a coal was brought home from the bonfire to each house.
- On St Stephen's Day about 60 years ago people used to go to Mass. It was a holiday of obligation long ago and they kept it as a retrenched holiday. After mass the wren boys began to gather in, groups of little boys in twos and threes, one of them acting as a leader and carrying a match box in which was sometimes a dead wren and at other times only a feather.
They asked money to bury the wren and said this rhyme:- The wren the wren the king of all birds St Stephens Day She was caught in a furze. Although she is small her family is great, get up Mrs --- and give us a trate (treat).
Some member of the family gave them a(continues on next page) - Informant
- Mrs H. Duffy
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- 86
