School: Meath Hill (roll number 7166)
- Location:
- Meath Hill, Co. Meath
- Teacher: Patrick J. Connolly
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0712, Page 217
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- XML “Festival Customs”
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- St Stephen's day and the 29th of June are the two great festivals of the year in this district. The 29th of June is the feast of St Peter and St Paul, who are the patron saints of this parish and there is a religious procession in Drumconrath that day every year. The village is decorated and the people from this parish and the neighbouring parishes gather there. There is a sermon in the church and then the people line out on the road the women first then the men and then the children. The local brass band leads the procession. They march through the village as far as the cemetery and back the same way. Benediction is given at the Grotto in the open air and the procession is ended by Benediction in the church.
St Stephen's day the wren boys go round. There are usually two bands the men and the children. That day they dress up in every sort of funny clothes and put false faces on themselves. They go from house to house, singing and dancing in every house and they get some money in every house. When they have a good share of money gathered they divide it amongst themselves.
- Collector
- Romuald Connolly
- Gender
- Male
