School: Sliabh na Lice, Sráid na Cathrach

Location:
Slievenalicka, Co. Clare
Teacher:
Seán Ó Cionnfhaola
Browse
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0622, Page 117

Archival Reference

The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0622, Page 117

Image and data © National Folklore Collection, UCD.

See copyright details.

Download

Open data

Available under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

  1. XML School: Sliabh na Lice, Sráid na Cathrach
  2. XML Page 117
  3. XML “The Pattern (Patron) - Garland Sunday”

Note: We will soon deprecate our XML Application Programming Interface and a new, comprehensive JSON API will be made available. Keep an eye on our website for further details.

On this page

  1. In this district patterns are held each year. One is held on the last Sunday in July in Lahinch and on the second last Sunday of same month one is held on Mount Callan.
    These festivities had their origin in pagan days. They originated in Mount Callan. On the top of the mountain there is a lawn called 'Buaile na Gréine.' On this lawn is supposed to have stood 'Altóir na Gréine.' On this altar sacrifices were offered to Pagan Gods the most important being the Sun hence 'Buaile na Gréine', 'Altóir na Gréine' etc. Some modern scholars however object and state that this lawn got its name from the fact that from the rising of the sun to its setting its rays fell on this summit.
    On the introduction of Christianity the practice of going to the mountain continued though for a very different reason. In Christian times the people of the surrounding district went to Mount Callan on three different occasions during the year. They went there on Easter Sunday, Patrick's Day and Lammas Sunday.
    On Easter Sunday all went there to make their Druachais [?] Cásga, or feast of Easter eggs; oatmeal bread and new Easter Ale or Poteen; to hold their easter conversations on the topics of the day and to open the sports of the season with a chorus of bagpipes and a mcnlla [?] dance.
    On Patrick's Day all went there to drink their 'Pota Pádraig.'

    Lammas Sunday the first Sunday of the month of August was a great day on 'Buaile na Gréine.' Lammas Sunday was also called 'Domhnach Crom Dubh' and later was anglicised 'Garland Sunday'
    (continues on next page)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. events
      1. events (by time of year) (~11,476)
    Languages
    Irish
    English
    Informant
    Antoine Ó Conmhuigh
    Gender
    Male
    Age
    70
    Address
    Ballynew, Co. Clare