School: Gleann

Location:
Glan, Co. Cork
Teacher:
(name not given)
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1128, Page 020

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1128, Page 020

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  3. XML “The Wren Boys”

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  1. The Wren Boys
    With the approach of Christmas and Saint Stephen's Day the boys of the land begin to think of the wren. They go from house to house singing the wren song.
    On Christmas Day they hunt up the wren trying to catch and kill a little bird. If they fail to find a wren-hoping to kill it with sticks and stones, which they seldom do-- they get a lump of moss and put it in a holly branch saying that a wren is in the nest formed of moss.
    They get a stick and tie a branch of holly on top of it in which is supposed to be the wren. They decorate it with ribbon and strips of coloured paper.
    On Saint Stephen's Day morning they meet at some place appointed and dress up with ribbons, and hats of coloured paper. One is a clown, and he blackened his face and hands, with either soot or black boot polish. One carries the holly
    (continues on next page)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. events
      1. events (by time of year) (~11,476)
        1. Feast of St Stephen (~402)
    Language
    English