School: Naomh Eoin, Cill Choinnigh (roll number 1301)

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1. The Wren Day

   

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   1. Martin Dwyer
   2. Greenridge, Kilkenny
   3. Age 11 years
   4. Schoolboy
   5. Greenridge, Kilkenny
   6.Stephen Dwyer
   7. a week ago
   8. 40 years
   26/1/38
   The Wren-day.
   The wren boys or the mummer boys appear in public on St Stephen's day attired in all manner of dress and headgear, wearing all manner of faces, as if their everyday faces were not handsome enough for them. They emerge from every nook and corner, give public performances in the nature of mouth-organ and tin whistle recitals and generally disturb the peace of the city graveyards. In order that their babes might not be disturbed from their slumber to join in the music, father and mother generally give the visitors any small change they might have, but as often as not they give them the boot or the door, that is if the dog is not knocking about the house.
   Last St Stephn's day when battalions of mummers had called on their rounds I noticed one lone mummer coming along wearing his mothers shawl and his fathers Sunday hat. There was nothing doing in any of the houses at which he called and to make worse Biddy Finnegan's mongerel terrier from Ballbough ran away with his mother's shawl and he lost his father Sunday hat.
   The wren boys are nothing like they used to

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. events
      1. events (by time of year) (~11,476)
         1. Feast of St Stephen (~402)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Martin Dwyer

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   11

   Occupation

   Schoolboy

   Address

   Greenridge, Co. Kilkenny

   Informant

   Stephen Dwyer

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   40

   Address

   Greenridge, Co. Kilkenny