School: Ballyjamesduff Convent

Location:
Ballyjamesduff, Co. Cavan
Teacher:
Sr. Mary Theresa
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0996, Page 436

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0996, Page 436

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  1. XML School: Ballyjamesduff Convent
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  3. XML “Marriage Customs”

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  1. Marriage Customs
    Here are some of the customs practised long ago at a wedding. When the wedding party would be about half a mile from home the best man and another man would mount on horses and race towards the house and whoever reached the house first would receive a bottle of whiskey and race back and present it to the bride and groom. Whoever won the race would be married before a year elapsed.
    Another custom of old was to hand the fire tongs to the bride as soon as she came into the house and if she was able to make a good fire she would make a good house wife.
    An amusing custom long ago was as follows, When the bride would come to the door the people inside would have a large oaten cake made and they would break the cake into little pieces and throw them at the bride, then everybody would run and gather the pieces and they would sleep on them. It was supposed they would see the person they were going to marry.
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. activities
      1. social activities (~7)
        1. rites of passage (~573)
          1. marriage (~4,283)
    Language
    English
    Collector
    Julia Fox
    Gender
    Female
    Address
    Castlerahan, Co. Cavan
    Informant
    Mr Terence Fox
    Gender
    Male
    Age
    Over 60
    Address
    Castlerahan, Co. Cavan