School: Cluain Uí Chuinn (roll number 5844)

Location:
Cloonyquin, Co. Roscommon
Teacher:
Mícheál Mac Floinn
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0250, Page 337

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0250, Page 337

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  1. XML School: Cluain Uí Chuinn
  2. XML Page 337
  3. XML “Wake Customs - The Nine Daughters and Middle Man”

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  1. Some of the games played at wakes were very rough and those above were no exception. In the "nine daughters", nine young fellows stood in a ring on the floor, their hands round each other's shoulders. They danced around the floor siging "'He won't marry my daughter". (There was a long verse something to the same effect, which cannot be got).
    As they danced, they moved towards the door adn the whirling around got quicker and quicker the object being to see who would get out through the door without getting a blow of a knotted hay rope from the bridegroom who stood outside.
    This blow was given without mercy and the weapon being heavy often left the one who got it, marked for life.
    In the "man in the middle" fifteen young lads sat on the floor in a ring facing each other, their knees up. The "fool" stood in the middle of this ring. The others passed a knotted "[?]" of hay from one to another under their knees. The "fool"
    (continues on next page)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. activities
      1. social activities (~7)
        1. rites of passage (~573)
          1. death (~1,076)
    Language
    English
    Informant
    Frank Rushe
    Gender
    Male
    Address
    Killynagh More, Co. Roscommon