School: Castletown
- Location:
- Castletown, Co. Meath
- Teacher: Owen Maguire
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- XML “Churning”
- XML “Local Festival Customs”
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- (continued from previous page)in Leggah aged about forty four years.
- Saint Stephen's Day is the funniest of all festivals days. We dress our selves up in all sorts of fancy dress, tall hats with feathers, false faces flowered dresses carrying a spray of holly and a melodien. We go about the country dancing and singing. Everybody has a welcome for us and gives us coppers which we divide evenly, when we arrive home that night. Grown up wren boys as they are called travel long distances on bicycles and motors. This is an old Irish custom and people think it unlucky to get the wren burned outside their gate, which is done if they refuse to give money.
The Eve of Saint John's Days is 24th June is another jolly time. For weeks before all the children of the district collect furze bushes and sticks to make a big bon-fire. Even the old people like to assemble at the cross-(continues on next page)- Collector
- Michael Shalvey
- Gender
- Male
- Informant
- Mrs Thomas Shalvey
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- c. 55
- Address
- Leggagh, Co. Meath