School: Cill Mhíde (C.), Caisleán Nua (roll number 7959)

Location:
Kilmeedy, Co. Limerick
Teacher:
Eibhlín Ní Bhraonáin
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0496, Page 334

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0496, Page 334

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  1. XML School: Cill Mhíde (C.), Caisleán Nua
  2. XML Page 334
  3. XML “St Stephen's Day”

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  1. St. Stephen's Day falls on the 26th of December. It commemorates the death of St Stephen he was one of the first martyrs being stones to death for the faith. In this country it is the usual custom with young people to dress up in coloured clothes and go from house to house singing and dancing. Long ago the wren boys used to spend Christmas Day chasing the wren to kill it for St. Stephen's Day and hang it on a holly bush, because if they had no wren they got no money, but nowadays they do not kill the bird as they rightly consider it cruelty, but they carry a holly bush instead, decorated with coloured papers and ribbons tied on the branches. The song that they usually sing is as follows:

    The wren, the wren, the king of all birds,
    St Stephen's Day he was caught in the furze.
    Although he was little his family was great,
    Cheer up my old Landlady and give us a treat.

    This is the song they usually sing. In
    (continues on next page)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. events
      1. events (by time of year) (~11,476)
        1. Feast of St Stephen (~402)
    Language
    English
    Collector
    Kitty Donegan
    Gender
    Female
    Address
    Ballinruane, Co. Limerick
    Informant
    William Donegan
    Gender
    Male
    Age
    85
    Address
    Kilmeedy, Co. Limerick