School: Coole (roll number 3936)

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1. Essay on Local Marriage Customs

   

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   Marriages generally take place in the Spring a short time before Lent. In olden times Shrove Tuesday was a great day for marriages. Long ago people would not get married in August or September as they would say that there would come a wind that would destroy there [their] oats and wheat.
   In olden times there were no marriages except match making. A boy would go to a girls house where he would think he would get a lot of money. He would generally bring another man with him and a bottle of whiskey. If he got as much money as he would ask he would take the girl for his wife and if he did not get enough he would go somewhere else. It is often that the girl would not like the fellow that came for her. In that case while the Mother and Father and he would be making the match she would often go out and run off with some other fellow which [whom] she liked better. If all parties agreed on the match a brother and father of the girl would go to see if the man had a good house and plenty of stock before he would give the money. Then the wedding day was fixed. The wedding reception used to be held in the brides house and all the friends would

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. activities
      1. social activities (~7)
         1. rites of passage (~573)
            1. marriage (~4,283)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Mary Gunning

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Coole, Co. Westmeath

   Informant

   Mrs Gunning

   Relation

   Parent

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Coole, Co. Westmeath