School: Araglin (B.), Cill Úird (roll number 9247)
- Location:
- Araglin, Co. Cork
- Teacher: Liam Ó Mothair
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0377, Page 029
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- It is a custom for the young boys of this district to gather together and prepare themselves to hunt the wren on St Stephen's day. A few days before St Stephen's day the boys get a holly bush and decorate it with ribbons. Then each one of them gets an "eye fiddle" and an old coat and an old hat.
On St Stephen's morning the boys get up very early and they all gather together in some appointed place. Then each boy puts on his eye-fiddle and his old coat and hat so that no one would know them. Then each boy takes his holly bush and they all set out together for the houses in the district. When they come to the door of each house, they sing this song:-
The wren, the wren the king of all birds,
St Stephen's day he was caught in the furze,
We hunted him up and we hunted him down,
We hunted him all around the town,
Up with the kettle and down with the pan,
Give us our handsel and let us be gone,(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Liam Ó Gadhra
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Gortnaskehy, Co. Cork
