School: Cromadh (C.) (roll number 9307)

Location:
Croom, Co. Limerick
Teacher:
Bríd, Bean Mhic Eoin
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0507, Page 567

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0507, Page 567

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  3. XML “The Blessing of the Sally Rod”

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  1. The Blessing of the Sally Rod.
    In our village long ago lived an old man. To the children he seemed incredibly old, but they are bad judges of age. However he was the oldest man living in the village - the "Daddy" of all and was known as "Daddy Hanley", or more often as "Daddy of the Sally". The ritual of the sally branch belonged to Daddy because he was the oldest man in the village, but when he died no one took up the custom and it died out.
    On New Year's night Daddy visited each house in turn, that is each house he wished to leave the blessing of the sally branch in, those with whom he was not so friendly had to do without it. He carried with him in his rounds a branch of a sally bush.
    In each house he left the end of his branch in the fire long enough to have a few inches at its tip get charred. Then each inmate of the house in turn was marked with the sign of the Cross on the forehead by Daddy with the blackened rod. When everyone had got the blessing of the sally rod Daddy broke off the end of the branch and threw it into the fire, for fear he would take the luck of the house and proceeded to the next house.
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. events
      1. events (by time of year) (~11,476)
    Language
    English