School: Knocktemple (B.)
- Location:
- Knockatemple, Co. Cavan
- Teacher: W. Tuite
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0998, Page 225
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- XML “Festival Customs”
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- Christmas is the first festival we have,usually beefsteak is served at breakfast on Christmas morning,then the people go to Mass. The first Mass is at seven o’clock followed by a second,usually the third is an hour later. When they come home from Mass they prepare the dinner,they get a turkey or a goose and roast it,in some places a young pig about two stone is killed,stuffed and roasted complete.
In the evening tea is served with sweet cakes called the Barney bracks.Games are played before bed time,and a candle is lighted in every window of the house,the same as they had been on Christmas Eve. The day following Christmas Day is called Boxing Day or St.Stephen’s Day,and boys look forward to it. They disguise themselves with old clothes and false faces,some times they catch a wren and fix it on the top of a stick and go from house to house singing a piece of poetry about the Wren. The wren the wren the king of all birds. St.Stephen’s Day he was caught in the furze.(continues on next page)
