School: Ballyroan (Convent) (roll number 1556)
- Location:
- Ballyroan, Co. Laois
- Teacher: Mother Philomena
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0831, Page 299
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- XML “Festival Customs”
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- On St. Stephen's Day boys dress up in all kinds of clothes and go around from house to house collecting money. Usually they blacken their faces or wear masks so that nobody would recognise them.
Some batches carry a holy bush in which there is supposed to be a dead wren. Others carry a box in which there is supposed to be a dead wren. Usually they have musical instruments such as melodions or mouth-organs, and they come into the kitchen and play these. Sometimes the party dance, or sing a song. Then the man or woman of the house give them a few pence. One of the batch usually collect the money, and in the evening it is divided equally amongst the batch. This money is spent that night either on a dance or on beer.
The following is usually recited by one or more of the wrenboys(continues on next page)
