School: Baile na Mín (roll number 14925)
- Location:
- Ballinameen, Co. Roscommon
- Teacher: Tomás Ó Conchobhair
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0238, Page 395
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- (continued from previous page)Early on January 5th some good, strong, stout rushes are procured. These are "peeled" and cut into twelve equal lengths of about six or seven inches each.
A cow-dung of rather dry, firm, tough texture is got and ashes is kneaded into it until it becomes quite dry.
This is then flattened out into the form of a cake of about eight inches in diameter. The twelve dips are stuck into this cake and it is left on a stool or chair on the middle of the kitchen floor. The twelve candles are named after twelve members of the family, some of whom may be absent or in exile. The family kneel, the candles are lighted,and the rosary commenced. The members of the family are supposed to die in the order in which the respective candles named after them burn out, or extinguish.
When the rosary is finished and all the candles have burnt out, the cake containing the burnt out candle stumps is rolled up into a ball and is hidden away behind the rafters in the roof of the(continues on next page)
