School: Ballyroddy (roll number 12629)
- Location:
- Ballyroddy, Co. Roscommon
- Teacher: -
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0250, Page 135
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Festival Customs
On St. Stephen's Day, young boys, in my locality, still gather together and go from house to house, disguised i old clothes and false faces, and carry with them some instrument of music, a fiddle, melodeon, or mouth-organ they sing no song about the 'wren'. they are called 'ran boys,' they play music and dance on the floor, or on the street, for a few minutes, then they produce a box and shake it, and the people of the house are expected to give them money, and in the evening they collect all the money they get, and a few nights after, they hold a 'ran boys' dance in some local house with the money collected. they buy tea, sugar, bread, jam and refreshment for the musicians.
St. Patrick's Day, people wear shamrock which they used to 'drown' some years ago, by going to public houses and taking drink, this custom is now done away with. they also wear badges. some years ago some young children used to wear crosses on their right shoulder.(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Ita Gannon
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Caldragh, Co. Roscommon
- Informant
- Mrs Holmes
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- 79
- Address
- Caldragh, Co. Roscommon
