School: An Geata Bán (roll number 11992)
- Location:
- Whitegate, Co. Cork
- Teacher: Mícheál Mac Cárthaigh
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0393, Page 038
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- XML “Festival Customs”
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- (continued from previous page)May Sunday :- We call the first Sunday in May, May Sunday. One of the younger girls is selected as Queen of the May usually she is dressed in a Wreath and veil. An arch of flowers is held over her head and she is escorted from door to door by ten or twelve other girls. At each door they sing a song and collect money and in the evening they buy cakes sweets and lemonade then they hold a party.
This is the song they usually sing :-
We are merry little maidens
And our hearts are bright and gay,
We go skipping o'er the hedges
In the merry month of May,
Chorus -
In the merry month of May
In the merry month of May,
We go skipping o'er the hedges
In the merry month of May.
You must wake and call me early
Call me early Mother dear,
For today will be the happiest day
Of all the glad New Year.
Of all the glad New Year, Mother
The happiest, happiest day,
For I'm to be Queen of the May, Mother
I'm to be Queen of the May.(continues on next page)
