School: Balla (C.)
- Location:
- Balla, Co. Mhaigh Eo
- Teacher: Katie M. Walker
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0096, Page 38
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- XML School: Balla (C.)
- XML Page 38
- XML “Festival Customs”
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- Festival Customs 6-4-38
On St.Brigid's Eve the young girls go out in the bríoeog and the people give them money in honor of St Brigid. On that day also straw crosses are made and hung on the roof to keep away bad luck and harm during the coming years.
"Long ago when St Brigid was travelling through Ireland she went into a house for a drink. The woman of the house saw the lovely chain with a gold cross on it that Brigid was wearing. she wished to have it and she put poison in Brigid's drink. Brigid saw her doing it and she got a wisp of straw and made the sign of the cross with it over the drink which took the harm out of it and from that day to this, straw crosses are made to keep away harm".
At one o'clock on St. Patrick's morning the Bolla band marches up and down the town and plays "The Wearing of the Green". All the Irish people all over the world wear the shamrock on St. Patrick's day because when Patrick was teaching the Irish the faith he used the shamrock to illustrate the mystery of the Blessed Trinity. In years gone by it was a rule in ireland that everybody should wear a bit of green on St. Patricks day.(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Katie M. Walker
- Gender
- Female
