School: An Cnocán Bán, Áth Treasa (roll number 12999)
- Location:
- Cummery Connell (South), Co. Cork
- Teacher: Eibhlín, Bean Uí Ríordáin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0350, Page 391
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- Festival Customs.
There are certain customs connected with (with) certain feast days.
On St. Stephen's Day it is the custom in this part of the country to boys and young men go hunting the Wren. Five or six boys gather together and go off together from house to house with holy bushes in their hands. They dress up very comical, so as not to be known when they would go into a house. They turn their caps and coats inside out and put masks on their faces known as ''agaid fiddles.''
Some of the party always carry some musical instrument, such as a fiddle, a mouth organ or some other musical instrument. When they go into a house some of the party sing the
Wren- Song, others play music and others dance or dance steps.
Then the people of the house give them some money of some silver. Then they go off to the next house.
The words of the Wren- Song are :-
'' The Wren, the wren, the king of all birds, On St. stephen's Day he was caught in the furze, Although he being little,(continues on next page)
