School: Smithstown, Castlecomer (roll number 14626)
- Location:
- Smithstown, Co. Kilkenny
- Teacher: Bríd Ní Mhórdha
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0865, Page 256
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On this page
- St. Stephen's Day
On St. Stephen's Day, most of the boys and girls in the district, mask their faces and put on funny dressings. They arre called "The Wren Boys". Sometimes they go in pairs, but most commonly they go in groups, with about ten in each. Most of them have musical instruments, such as accordeons, melodeons, mouth-organs, or flutes. Some of them might be dancing, while others played some tune outside the houses they were visiting. They would go arount to every house in the district. One person would have a box gathering the money that would be giving to them at every house. When they had returned home they would distribute the money among themselves.St. Patrick's Day.
On St. Patrick's Day the people wear shamrock, to honour that Saint, because it was with the three-leaf shamrock, that he taught the people to believe in the Blessed Trinity. The men wear a spray of shamrock in their hats, and the women wear it in their coats. Sometimes badges are worn with it.(continues on next page)
- Collector
- John Love
- Gender
- Male
- Informant
- Joseph Love
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 44
- Occupation
- Labourer
- Address
- Aghamucky, Co. Kilkenny
