School: Clonbroney, Meathus Truim
- Location:
- Clonbroney, Co. Longford
- Teacher: Ss. Ó Conchobhair
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0766, Page 074
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- Marriages in this locality usually take place during Shrove, that is from the 6th of January to Ash Wednesday. Some days are considered unlucky for marriages as the following rhyme will tell; Monday for health, Tuesday for wealth, Wednesday the best day of all, Thursday for losses, Friday for crosses, Saturday no day at all.
About sixty years ago if a boy wanted to marry a girl he wold ask her father for her hand. If the father wasn't satisfied with the boy's wealth he wouldn't give his daughter. A few nights later the boy and a friend of his would creep up to the house and steal away the girl to some neighbouring house. The father and a band of men would follow the girl and bring her back and lock her in her room. At the end of three weeks she would be let out and then she would be free to marry the boy. This sort of thing was called a "runaway marriage".
At a good wedding feast long ago there would be vegetables, such as potatoes and cabbage, fowl, turkeys, geese, bacon and beef. The bride used to make her own cake. After everybody had eaten and drank enough the pipers and fiddlers would(continues on next page)
- Informant
- Mrs Connolly
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- 75
- Address
- France, Co. Longford
