School: Ballyfin, Mountrath (roll number 15537)
- Location:
- Ballyfin, Co. Laois
- Teacher: Seosamh Mac Giolla Fhionáin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0833, Page 111
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- (continued from previous page)three more taps, before he must help them. The pursuers go on catching until only one boy is left. Then they seaprate and the single boy is "after." So the game is started again.
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“We play "marbles" and "tops" on Spring and "four corners" any wet day that we have nothing to do.”
We play "marbles" and "tops" in Spring and "four corners" any wet day that we have nothing to do. All these games are very popular in this district.
This is how we play "marbles"-
First we make a circle and put two "marbles" into it, if three boys are playing then three "marbles" must go down into the ring.
Whoever says "First crack" before the game is started gets the first shot at the "marbles," but generally there is a row for the first shot. Then we go back about four or five feet and fire at them with the "alley" along the ground. (The "alley" is a big"marble". It is about four times as big as the little "marble.")
Some people put the "alley" on their first finger and fire it at the marble with(continues on next page)