School: Cnoc an Éin Fhinn (Birdhill) (roll number 13991)

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1. Local Marriage Customs

   

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   Marriages take place generally after twelvth day. The girl's parents visit the house of a prospective husband. They generally take with them a few clever friends. Tea and punch is provided on their arrival. Immediately after tea they settle down to business. The chief difficulty in marriage is the money point. The brides parents would say,"I'll give you the daughter and £400" and the husband holds out for £500. Eventually the whole cutting and splitting is the same as selling cattle at a fair. The bargain is made, the day is named and the next step is to see the parish priest to ask the cerain sum of money for marrying them. The bargain is made and the marriagetakes place in the girl's parish. The girl and boy go to the church in two different motor-cars and they come back to the girl'shouse after the marriage. When the supper is over, dancing commences and continues until a late hour in the morning. Wenesday is considered to be the luckiest day for marriage and Friday is considered to be the unluckiest day for marriage.
   In olden times matches were not made but the boy and girl would elope on a certain night. The boy would go near the girl's house at an appointed time generally after her parents going to bed. He would have two good saddle horses. She would

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. activities
      1. social activities (~7)
         1. rites of passage (~573)
            1. marriage (~4,283)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Thomas Teefey

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Coosane, Co. Tipperary

   Informant

   Michael Teefey

   Relation

   Parent

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Coosane, Co. Tipperary