School: Cruachán
- Location:
- Croghan, Co. Offaly
- Teacher: T. Ó Cuinn
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0803, Page 326
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- XML “The Wren Boys”
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- On St. Stephens Day boys dress up and go round from house to house with the Wren. They get a branch of Holly and decorate it with coloured papers and ribbons. Then they put a dead Wren in the middle of it. They get money in nearly every house. They get sweet cake or Plum-Pudding in some houses. When they have finished that evening they divide the money. On St. Stephen's night men dress up and go round with the Wren. They put on old clothes and vizards so that no one would know them. They dance and sing in every house. They get money or sweet cake in every house. When they have finished they divide the money. This is the verse they say at every house.
The Wren, the Wren the king of all birds,
St. Stephen's Day she was caught in the furze,
Though she was small, her family was great,
Rise up landlady and give us a treat,(continues on next page)
