School: St John of God Convent, Rathdowney (roll number 16203)

Location:
Rathdowney, Co. Laois
Teacher:
The Sisters
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0828, Page 125

Archival Reference

The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0828, Page 125

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  1. XML School: St John of God Convent, Rathdowney
  2. XML Page 125
  3. XML “Marriage Customs”

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  1. The customs of Irish weddings in by-gone days were very different to the weddings we see now a days. Even very young brides wore shawls and large handkerchiefs on their heads. A wedding could take place any part of the day up to eight and nine o'clock in the evenings. It was the customs to drive to church on side cars. There would be several of these cars seen jogging along the country roads. with four or five people seated on each vehicle. The bride and bridegroom were sometimes conveyed in a cover car drawn by one or two horses. After the weddings it was customary to go for nine or ten miles of a drive they used to put up at a hotel and hold a dance till evening, and have refreshments they would then return home very merry and hold an all night dance in the brides home. On the night of the wedding the "straw boys" could be heard blowing horns which were made from bottles by knocking the ends of the bottles out. They would also go to the house where the wedding
    (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. marriage (~4,283)
    Language
    English
    Collector
    Maureen Daly
    Gender
    Female
    Age
    12