School: Baile na Mín (roll number 14925)

Location:
Ballinameen, Co. Roscommon
Teacher:
Tomás Ó Conchobhair

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Marriage Customs - A Story

Archival Reference

The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0238, Page 357

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There was once a man who wanted to marry. He was not very good-looking, but he wanted a good looking woman and plenty of money. Now there was a great match-maker in the district, so he said he would give him a plan to get a wife. "Now Michael, halloween is coming and on that night clean your barn and get ready your flail; and when it comes to twelve o'clock put a lighted candle on the window and start treshing." Now Michael did not like the idea, and said would there be any harm into it. "Not at all," said the match-maker. By this time the old match-maker had all the girls told about the joke. So Michael took courage and started treshing as hard as he could, and was keeping an eye on the candle at the same time. Now then it was almost twelve all of a sudden Michael saw about twenty or thirty hands trying to grab the candle. Michael left all there and off with him after the girls. Now the match-maker was listening to the joke and making great fun of it, as he thought, but there was an old aunt of the match-maker's and Michael caught her, and when the match-maker saw

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Collector
Kathleen Tansey
Gender
female
Address
Sheeane, Co. Roscommon
Informant
Martin Giblin
Gender
male
Address
Ardcolagh, Co. Roscommon
Language
English