School: Loch an Cheanntaigh (Loughkent), Cathair Dhúin Iascaigh
- Location:
- Loughkent West, Co. Tipperary
- Teacher: Mícheál Ó Laighin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0559, Page 056
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- XML School: Loch an Cheanntaigh (Loughkent), Cathair Dhúin Iascaigh
- XML Page 056
- XML “Festival Customs”
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- In this district certain feasts are kept and some old customs are still carried on. Christmas is the greatest feast of the year and the day after is called St Stephens Day or the "Wrens Day". Long ago all the men of the district used to go following the Wren. They used to dress up as fools and clowns. They used to go from house to house looking for gifts and money. They used to go from house with beautiful music and singing the wren song. It is a very old custom. They carry a big holly bush decorated with beautiful coloured ribbons and a dead wren hanging from it. They kill a wren the day before and hang it on the bush. When the day is over they give each man an equal share of the money. Then they hold an outdoor dance and they dance and sing and play music and have a great evening. It is only the schoolboys that go now. They always look forward to the wrens day. They gather ribbons to decorate their wren bush. They sing a special song as follows.
Then wren the wren the king of all birds,
St Stephens day she was caught in the furs.
Although she was little her family was great.
Cheer up kind people and give us a treat(continues on next page)
- Collector
- James Clifford
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Newtown, Co. Tipperary
