School: Eachroim (roll number 14684)
- Location:
- Aughrim, Co. Roscommon
- Teacher: Máiréad, Bean Uí Bheirn
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0249, Page 255
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- XML “Observances on Festivals”
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- St martin's Day or Night occurs nine nights after hallow Eve and a night without counting. A goose or other fowl should be killed sometime within abovementioned dates. The blood was to be sprinkled on the four corners of the house.
St John's Eve Bonfires are lighted on the roadside on St John's Eve. Long ago musicians brought their instruments and the Young people danced on the roadside near the bonfire. A collection was made and provisions were brought and all had some refreshment. When the fire was dying some of the quenched coals were carried home by those present. These coals were thrown into the tillage field and were supposed to bring luck to the crops.
Little Christmas Night - or Twelfth Night.
A cake of daub was made and into it were stuck as many rush candles as there were members in the family. These were greased and lighted. Each member of the family selected his own candle. The person whose candle burned out first expected to be the first member of the family to die - and he whose candle lived longest was confident of living longest. The cake was not thrown out. It was put in a box and kept.
