School: Aghavoe (roll number 11772)
- Location:
- Aghaboe, Co. Laois
- Teacher: Lily Cooper
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0830, Page 041
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- XML School: Aghavoe
- XML Page 041
- XML “St Stephen's Day”
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On this page
- St. Stephen's Day in Ireland is a merry time Early in the morning the wren boys tour the country singing and dancing to the music of mouth-organs, melodeons and fiddles or tin cans which act as drums.
They go from house to house collecting pennies and silver. They are always dressed in all sorts of funny costumes composed of papers, feathers and old clothes and often soot on their faces
They sing the following song
The wren the wren
The king of all birds
St Stephen's Day he was
caught in the furze.
Although he is little his
family is great
Rise up young ladies and
give us a treat
Up with the kettle and
down with the pan
A penny or twopence to
bury the wren
All silver no brass
Give us a penny to buy us a glass(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Ida Bailey
- Gender
- Female
