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School: Ferbane (Convent)

Location:
Ferbane, Co. Offaly
Teacher:
Sr. Patrick
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0813, Page 394

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0813, Page 394

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  1. XML School: Ferbane (Convent)
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  3. XML “Festival Customs”
  4. XML “Festival Customs”

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  1. Festival Customs (continued)

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  2. Festival Customs

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    There are many old customs kept in Ireland at the present day.
    On Christmas Eve night, Christmas candles are lighted in the widows of every house, and the people stay up until midnight, in honour of our Lord being born in the stable at Bethlemhem at that hour.
    On Saint Stephen's Day, boys gather together, and dress up in gaudy clothes, and put on vizards. They then kill a wren and tie it on top of a bush and dress it up with holly, and it is called "Hunting the Wren".
    They go round to every house in the town and the country, playing music, dancing, and singing:-
    "The wren, the wren, the king of all birds,
    St Stephen's Day she was caught in the furze,
    Although she was small her family was great,
    Come out old fellow and give us a treat,
    (continues on next page)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
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