School: Loughill, Longford
- Location:
- Laughil, Co. Longford
- Teacher: P. Ó Corcora
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0768, Page 396
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- XML “Festival Customs”
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- St Stephens day is on the 26th December. People on that day hunt the wren. Long ago people would spend Christmas Day hunting for wrens and they would get no money unless they had a dead wren tied to a holly bush. They would also used the following rhyme.-
"The wren the King of all birds on St Stephens day she was found in the furze. Although she is little her family is great. So rise up Land Lady and give us a treat. Neither the wren is brought now nor is the rhyme used. The men and boys and some of the girls go hunting the wren. The clothes worn are pyjames, or trousers shirts, or ganseys or jerseys also. Old hats that have been cast. They then form up in bands of two to ten or often 20. The large parties get a couple of good dancers, and get mouth organs, fiddle, melodeans, concertinas, pipes, tin whistles, flutes, and a drum. The money is divided equally or a "wren spree" is got up. They get silver and coppers and get from 2/0 to 10/0 each. All day long these wrens boys go and from 10 to 20 batches visit every farmers house. At night when the lights are lit they go and get food for all the money is exhausted. If they get nothing they show their displeasure. Often parties form into large parties when they meet and boy and young people are often held up by big parties who go to hunt the wren.
- Collector
- Bernard Kane
- Gender
- Male
