The bonfire in Ballyteague used to be on the 24th June (St John's Eve.)

St. John's day comes on the 22nd of June and it is a custom for the boys of this district to light bon-fires on St. John's eve. For two or three days before St John's eve all the young boys go gathering furzes and sticks for the fire. The furzes and sticks are put in a dry place so that they would wither. On St. John's eve they are put in one great heap at the cross roads, and then one of the boys light the fire.
Then the boys and girls of the district gather around the fire and wait there until it is quenched. Then they watch the fires of the other districts and see which fire remains lighting the longest. Long ago the people used bring home a burned stick and rub it to their cattle. Others used drive their cattle around the fire. It is said that this would keep away ill-luck for the next year.

all diseases. This custom is still kept in a great number of houses. Long ago St. John's Eve was kept a very happy feast, but at present, there are not many customs kept. On St. John's Eve they got furze and turf, and put them up on the highest hill they could find, or at a cross roads. The people from around the place gathered, and put it on fire. They had different kinds of music, and when the fire was kindling properly, they danced around it. That fire was called a bon-fire. It was lit in honour of St. John, because it was said when St. John came unhurt from the cauldron of boiling oil, it was but right to show respect to him some way.May Eve was also kept as a great feast day. On May Eve the 30th April a bush was put in the ground and decorated with egg shells and primroses. This bush was called a "May Pole". All during Lent and on Easter Sunday, the shells of the eggs that were eaten during that time, were put on the bush in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary.On Saint Stephen's day, all the boys and young

The usual Irish custom on St John's Eve in this locality is to light bonfires. These fires are chiefly lit near potato gardens as the Irish think that it prevents blight from coming on their potatoes. It is a beautiful sight to witness the hill sides ablaze on St John's eve but on the following day the black hillside look dreary.

Well: two days before St. John's Eve all the people get horses and carts and carry firewood to a certain place. Then on St. John's Eve a fire is lit in honour of the St.

of the house.
St. John's Day.
On st John's Eve now every family have a bonfire of their own. For a week before the Eve of St. Johns the boys are gathering turf, whins, bogdeal.
On St John's Eve at night fall the fire is made. Coals are put in the middle along with a bone. Then the turf is piled outside the coals. When the fire is lighted the people say prayers. They

often told this story in our house when we were all children, He was a brother of John’s seemed wife. He told us that he distinctly remembered a certain Hallow Eve night when himself and his brothers and sisters were playing games. This sister who was later married to John Mc Cafferty suddenly collapsed and fainted. They had her carried outside, and she was in the swoon for nearly an hour. Strange to say she herself did not remember the least thing of the incident.
If asked John about their Hallow Eve story. He was at first very reluctant to discuss it at all. I insisted, and he at last, told the story in detail. He said he would not recommend any christian alive to try experiment in the way he had done. He experimented, he said, in the hope of proving the belief to be groundless, because, until then he had always claimed such beliefs were nonsensical. He also said that it finished him with ever taking part in any more "Hallow Eve" tricks.

During the lifetime of Lady Hayes she had in her employment a maid named O Reilly from Cork. A neighbouring woman named Kate McGrath did the laundry for her.
On St. John's eve Miss O Reilly went to the house of Kate McGrath and stayed to a late hour of the night. On her way home she came upon the Abbey Field. There was a torchlight procession of men dressed in white. She stood for a while looking at the scene and then continued on her way unperturbed by what she had seen for she thought that the people of Donegal still kept to the old custom of having a procession on St. John's eve.
When she arrived at the Castle she asked the maids did they still hold a procession on St. John's eve

On may Eve people put quick beam in their gardens to prevent bad neighbours of taking their crops by witch-craft.People skim their neighbours' wells on May Eve and milk their neighbours' cows and put duck eggs in their neighbours' gardens so that they could take their crop, milk and butter.The people put Holy water on their crop and cattle to prevent anyone of taking their crops, milk and butter by witch-craft.On St. John's Eve people make a Chip Seán and light it and let is drop on the crops so that St. John would bless them.On St. John's night people light bonfires in honour of St. John.On November Eve a great many games are played by the childeren such as snap apple, blind man's buff, roasting

Matt Power tells another tale of his adventures. At that time there were bands of robbers going around and especially around Christmastime. It was the custom of Power and his companions to draw their coal to Cashel on Christmas Eve and sell it to the town people early in the morning. Power had a brother in law known as Johnnie St. John who was another carman and had constant employment delivering coal to the Brewery in Rathdowney. He was a great comic and Power pressed on him to come to Cashel that day saying they would have a holiday. They finally settled to go there. They reached Cashel that Christmas Eve morning at day-break and sold their loads early. Then they put up their horses and fed them and they said that they would be home early. The time passed on as they listened to the sayings of St. John. The night fell before they left Cashel and they came home the shortest but most dangerous road. From Cashel to Ballinure was known for these robbers and that was the road they came. They knew no danger and as usual Burke was leading. He was a powerful strong man and feared no foe. At a lonely place not far from Cashel they were attacked. The attackers were strong and large in number. The first they attacked was Burke who was beating them fearlessly when his comrades came up. They quickly went to his assistance and a great fight took place. Burke had received some head wounds from one of his assailants and when the fight was over they were all covered with blood but they defeated the robbers. The witty St. John knew Burke was a great fighter and ran to him with a shovel. They were all blood and battered but they won the battle and saved their goods and arrived home at four o'clock on Christmas

St Johns Well
I live on the road that leads to St. Johns well. The feast of St John is on the 24th June and on the eve of that day people visit the well and say prayers and wash themselves in the water and take away some of it in bottles. Years ago, there were many cures there, people left crutches and sticks behind them and were cured. The crutches are buried beside the well and a cross marks the spot. It is near Warrenstown College 3 miles from the School. On John's eve water gushes from a rock a midnight. St. John's Bolo - the founder of the Sakesian order of Priests - his stick came up at the well. There is talk or erecting a shrine there. There is a big iron railing around the well at present. Rosary is said on the feast day every year.

called "Pancake Tuesday". Good Friday is considered lucky for sowing crops, and on Easter Sunday everybody eats eggs. On May Day many strange customs are observed. It is considered unlucky to give away milk or to allow fire to be brought out of the house on that day. St. John's Eve, the 22nd June, is another Irish festival. There is usually a bonfire in honour of St. John and everybody brings a coal from the bonfire and throws it into their field so that they may have good crops. November Eve is associated with very old customs. Children duck for apples on this night. Another custom is to go into a plot of cabbage, shut your eyes, and pull a head of cabbage. This is taken home and the first person who comes in

On the twenty-sixth of December a crowd of boys gathered together and went around from house to house singing the wren song. That day is called Saint Stephen's Day or Boxing day. The first of February is called Saint Brigid's. On the Eve of that day a piece of green ribbon is hung out and it would get an inch longer. That ribbon would cure a headache or a toothache. On St. John's Eve people lit bonfires in honour of St. John. On the first of May all the people got up early and washed their faces in the dew near a hawthorn bush. If any person did not do that he would not have any luck for the year.

St. John's Eve
On St. John's Eve it is an old custom for young men to light bonfires at the cross roads.

Bonfire night: On St. John's eve 24th June fiddlers came and there was Irish dancing round the bonfire.

Bonfires were lighted on St John's Eve and on the Eve. of the 29th June.

There is a holy well at Warranstown. It is called St John's well. A great number of people were cured of pains and different aliments.
People generally visit it at twelve oclock at night on the eve of the feast of St. John. The well over flows on the eve of the feast and that the tim people are cured

St. John's EveBonfires used to be lighted on every farmer's land on St. John's Eve (eve of 24th June), in this district. When the fires were nearly burnt out burning sticks were taken from them and placed in each field "to protect the crops" (against evil charms).

A huge bonfire is lit near Mullagh on St. John's eve each year and the young people dance around it.

This is the way St. John's night is observed in this district. Every family has a bonfire of its own on St. John's Eve. Before leaving the fire the people go around it seven times and say prayers. Then they take a coal out of the fire and throw