School: Collon (Erasmus Smith) (roll number 16325)

Location:
Collon, Co. Louth
Teacher:
E. Ní Earchadha
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0677, Page 107

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0677, Page 107

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  1. XML School: Collon (Erasmus Smith)
  2. XML Page 107
  3. XML “The Wren Boys”

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  1. In was the custom in most places and in some places still is for the young men to dress up in fantastic clothes on St Stephen's day and get all the musical instruments they could find and go from door to doo singing songs and dancing in return for money or food.
    They would carry a wren on a pole covered with rags. The hunted the wren that morning.
    Some time before St Stephen's Day they stole a goat and killed it and made tambourines with the skin.
    About five in the eveing they got ready and went from house to house collecting by singing or dancing. Each person had a special or dance to do by himself. When they were about to leave a house the person with the wren held it out and they all sang this song together.
    The wren, the wren the king of all birds
    On St Stephen's day he was caught in the furze.
    Altho' he is little his family is great.
    So rise up land lady and give us a treat.
    (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
    Informant
    Mr Emerson
    Gender
    Male
    Address
    Collon, Co. Louth