School: Ferbane (Convent)

On this page

1. Festival Customs

   

   Share Share Post

   There are many old customs still carried out in Ireland on certain feasts.
   Saint Stephen's Day is a great festival day. Young men and boys dress in gaudy colours and fancy gowns, and go to "hunt the wren". It is called "hunting the wren" and sometimes they kill a wren, tie it to the top of a stick, and take it with them. They bring melodeons and various musical instruments with them to play and dance in each house which they visit. They get money in each house to help to "bury the wren".
   There is a rhyme they recite, which is something like this:-
   "The wren, the wren, the king of all birds,
   Saint Stephen's Day, he was caught in the furze;
   Up with the kettle, and down with the pan.
   Twopence or threepence to bury the wren."
   Saint Brigid's Day is another great festival day, but the old customs concerning it are fast dying out. Long ago the young men dressed up and went from house to house playing music, dancing and singing

   (continues on next page)

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. events
      1. events (by time of year) (~11,476)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Margaret M. Keena

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Creggan, Co. Offaly