gather money and they are called mummers. It is a custom that people ring bells to ring out the old year, and to ring in the new year.

Long ago the boys used to go around on St. Stephen's day with the mummers. They used to get old coats and turn them inside out they used to get big tall hats they used to put feathers in them. They used to get straw ropes and they used to put them on their feet. They used to get sticks and go around from house to house and dance and sing songs and play music and then they used to get money from the people of the house.

Virgin comes into the house that night when every one is asleep. For a week after Christmas the "mummers" go from house to house + collect money and on New Years night they have a dance in some house and get refresh-ments for all present with the money the have collected.

It is a Christmas custom for mummers to go round from house to house a few weeks before Christmas.In the mummers there are eight characters. Each represents a historical or mythical or comic person.The names fo the characters are St Patrick, Crom Cruac Beelzebub, Big Head, Cromwell, Funny Johnny, Diddley Dowd and the doctor.They go round from house to house dressed in disguise with funny clothes and a mask on each of their faces. Each character enters in turn and relates his part of the play. The last to enter collects the money from the household.The sayings of some of these characters are still remembered . The most of them are quite forgotten. Those of St Patrick, Big Head, and Funny Johnny are set down here.

The money collected is divided evenly amongst the mummers. The younger folk go to the pictures and buy sweets. Sometimes the grown ups "pool" the money and get drink for it to be consumed at a dance held that night or at a game of cards.

There are two different types of mummers. One of these types was very common in my father's youth but it is not to be seen nowadays. Mumming is indeed a very old Irish custom. The mummers go around from house to house in the country. They receive a warm welcome from the household who have invited them to act their interesting play. The captain enters, taps the door with his sword as a warning to the guests that the mummers are about to begin. They march around in a circle first. Then they form a figure. Captain says:-
I hope you will good order keep.
And strict attention pay.
And listen to those heroes.
And what they have got to say.
The first he is the bold Prince George
Great fortune on him smile.
The next he is Saint Patrick
The patron of our Isle.
Next comes Boneparte,
Lord Wellington comes next

out till morning. Each townsland has its own set of Mummers and at the close of the season the different sets complete at the county feis for a set of medals.

''Mummers'' is a more common name for them now then ''Wrenboys''. Often they have no wren at all but go about gathering money. It is the usual custom to have a ''spree'' in some farmer's house when they have enough money gathered.

In this parish before Christmas we have what is called mummers:- A group of usually six boys dress up in disquise and they take a fiddle, a melodeon and drums and go round the houses and perform in every house. Sometimes one is dressed up as "Jack Straw". He has a high

Christmas. At Christmas the mummers come round the houses and the children get toys and other things Their are a Christmas tree in every house and it be directed with presents and other things.

A week before Christmas each year, men and boys dress up and go from house to house dancing and singing songs. One of them has a heap of straw with him. He is called Jack Straw. Everybody gives the mummers some money. This they divide among them.

The Mummers are a number of boys who go round to all the houses a week before Xmas. They get money from everyone and then they divide it among themselves. Then they go and drink it. The sing songs and dance. When they come to the door they say, “Is there any admittance for Xmas mummers?” They have long cone shaped hats covered with cloth, and ribbons round the rim of them to hide their faces. Some of them have on womens’ skirts. They all have rhymes to say when they come in. The first one who comes in, says, “Room, room my gallant boys give me room to rhyme, for now its come near the Christmas time, If you don’t believe me what I say, I’ll call in Prince George and he’ll soon clear the way”.Then enters Prince George and says, “Here comes I, Prince George, I fed my horse on oats and hay for seven years and run away, If you don’t believe me what I say, I’ll call in Jack straw and he’ll soon

Christmas :- Before Christmas young boys to around the houses, saying rhymes, singing and collected money, disguised as "mummers". A Christmas pudding is always baked for Christmas Day. Boys and girls generally pull crackers on Christmas Day. At Christmas all the houses are decorated with holly, ribbons, balloons and Christmas decorations. In some churches midnight mass is said in honour of Our Lord's birth at the hour. The old people like to see snow at Christmas, as they say "A green Christmas makes a fat Churchyard"

There are many customs at Christmas such as "mummers". The mummers dress in very funny clothes and put paper hats on their heads.
They go about on Christmas night. They collect money and divide it among themselves and sometimes give a dance. When they go to a house they sing a song or act.
There are customs for shrove Tuesday also such as making pan-cakes.
There are customs for Easter too such as making Easter houses. Children make Easter houses at Easter time. The houses are made of sods and timber. A pipe is put up through the roof for the chimney. The children boil eggs on Easter Day. There are customs for St Patrick's day such as wearing shamrocks. At Hallowe'en

The mummers around this district about two weeks before Christmas. They go to some house and dress themselves. They start out when it gets dark, and go round the house until bedtime.
The following are the names of the mummers.
Father Christmas, Prince George, Prince Patrick, Doctor Browne, Big Head, Beljie-Bub, Jack-straw, Devils-dout, Master man of the play, and New-year boy.
When Father Christmas comes into the house he says-
“Here comes I old Father Christmas. When I come I bring good joy. It was acted on stages and acted on floors, but it never will be acted better than it will be acted inside your door.

There are a great many festival customs celebrated in this district. The best known of them all is the mummers.The mummers come around about a week or a fortright before Christmas. They are a gathering of about thirteen young active men of the district. They have hats covered with all colours] of paper. These strips cover the face.Each one of them has a rhyme of his own to learn. They come in one by one and say their rhymes.When they have all finished their rhymes they sing a song. Then the people of the house give them about threepence or sixpence

splashed in the fun. This is called "dooking" for apples.
Halliday and Hollintide are local names for All Hallows Day or All Saints Day or the 1st of November. The night when the harvest is all completed is called "churn " night. The harvest home is celebrated with feasting and dancing.The 1st of August is called Lammas. Lammas used to be considered a very poor time of the year for the farming community because it was the time of the year when all the old crops were done and the new ones were not ready for harvesting, consequently extravagant people are often reprimanded with the saying "Is there no Lammas with you at all at all?"
On Christmas Eve the houses are always decorated with berried holly and also with mistletoe. The children all hang up their stockings near the fireplace in the kitchen so that Santa Claus when he comes down the chimney can stuff them full of toys. In the week preceding Christmas mummers go around from house to house saying rimes. They do dress in various kinds of attire and always wear a great lot of straw on their heads. The group of mummers vary in numbers from six to sixteen and each one has his portion of the rime to say. Their object in going around is to get money. The people all give them some money. They

"THE MUMMERS" or "THE RHYMERS""The Mummers" go round before Xmas. They dress in straw and old clothes and they sing and dance at every house and they get money.
"CLIPPING THURSDAY"On Holy Thursday it is customary to get one's hair cut, as it is supposed to bring luck and the hair will grow better.They also cut their nails "as on Holy Thursday Our Lord's nails were cut."The women left their hair flowing down their backs on Good Friday.
THE BONFIRE NIGHTOn the eve of St. John's bonfires

party.
Every one likes to see the "mummers" coming. They attract young and old because of the peculiar way they dress. "Bean-Begging"
Another very ancient custom is "Bean Begging". When anyone gets married numbers of boys and girls dress in the same way as "mummers". They go to the wedding house and dance and spend the night in a very enjoyable way. They have to be entertained at the wedding just the same as the invited guests. Little Christmas night
We celebrate Little Christmas night on the 6th of January. Every year on this night there are twelve rush candles lit to represent the Twelve Apostles. This is done while the people are saying the Rosary. Every one choses a candle and whichever candle dies first the person who owns that candle will die firsst.

to Hallow-een in this district. It is said that a "puca" goes around and destroys the blackberries and that it is not right to eat blackberries after Hallow-een night. The "puca" is supposed to be a fairy who goes around on a white horse destroying the blackberries.On St Stephen's night mummers go around the houses. They usually dress up in old coats, hats, and false faces. When the mummers enter a house they first act a play and then some of them sing songs or play a mouth organ. When they have all the money collected they sometimes organise a ball or sometimes they divide the money up between them.Maureen Kearns
Newtown
The Ward
Co. Dublin