School: Áth na gClaidheamh (roll number 10537)
- Location:
- Annagleve, Co. Monaghan
- Teacher: S. Mac Domhnaill
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0937, Page 255
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- XML “Marriage Customs”
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- Long ago marriages generally took place on the days before Shrove Tuesday. For some weeks before Shrove Tuesday the matchmakers were busy looking up prospective brides and bridegrooms and finding out how much of a dowry the bride had and what was the bridegrooms financial position. It was a custom for the parents to promise to pay the matchmaker some money in proportion to the settlement arranged. Often the young persons were not consulted at all in the matter. They were told when all arrangements were made who they were to marry and when. Often the parents were disappointed by the young girl making a runaway marriage with someone of her own choice. In many cases a hard bargain was made and often it was the differences in the price of a heifer "betwixt the pretty and the plain".
It was a custom on a wedding day for the newly weds to return to the bride’s home and get breakfast. In the evening they went to the bridegroom’s home(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Marcella Loughran
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- 12
- Address
- Cavanaguillagh, Co. Monaghan
- Informant
- Patrick Loughran
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 81
- Address
- Cavanaguillagh, Co. Monaghan
