School: Naomh Peadar, Droichead Átha (roll number 11072)
- Location:
- Drogheda, Co. Louth
- Teacher: S. Mac Maoláin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0680, Page 114
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- In Collon near Drogheda there is a strange marriage custom. When a girl gets married she has the marriage feast in her mother's house. It last from one o'clock in the day till five o'clock in the morning.
When she goes to her future home there are forty straw men dressed in straw waiting for the bride & bridegroom. While they are waiting they sing songs and dance. The bride brings them in and divides among them a half barrel of stout and gives them cake as well. Then they dance until 8 o'clock a m.
After that they light the fire in the house and prepare the breakfast for the bride. When they finish breakfast they go out and milk the cows, feed the calves, clean the cow-shed, put out the cows to the field, scrub the creamery cans & bring out the cans for the milk lorry.
Then they go in for dinner. After dinner they dance until 7 o'clock p.m and then they all go home. Before going home they ask if they may come to the christening feast. The bride does not know who the straw men are.
A rhyme about marriage is :-Happy is the bride that the sun shines on(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Tom Scouse
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Townleyhall, Co. Louth
