School: Glassalts (roll number 1239)
- Location:
- Glasalt or Treanfasy, Co. Dhún na nGall
- Teacher: M. P. Ó Dochartaigh
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1116, Page 123
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- XML School: Glassalts
- XML Page 123
- XML “Feast and Festivals - St John's Eve - Bonfire Night - 23rd June”
- XML “Feast and Festivals - Hallow Eve”
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On this page
- (continued from previous page)" the flour of the fire ". At 2 o'clock at night the old men would come out and say the rosary around the fire. At dusk a small fire lighted and cows driven around it to keep them from harm until that day year.
( ... stick or turf from their fires. If they succeeded, the townland that lost the stick etc.would be very angry and this was often the cause of many a fight )
- Hallow Eve
This feast falls on the last day of October. The people would take no dinner until night. At night the people would have "poundies" and butter for their dinner. When dinner would be finished they would eat apples and nuts. After that tea, oaten bread, fudge, jam and butter are eaten. It is a custom for the children to tie an apple to the ceiling with a cord. Then they would put their hands behind their back and try to catch (it) the apple with their mouth Another trick was to put a three-penny piece in a dish of water and try to catch it with their mouth also. On the night after Hallow Eve is the night of the dead. It usual for the people to have a fire on all night, the floor swept, and a stool at the fire for any poor soul that would be wandering out. Some houses leave a bucket of spring water in the middle of the floor and bread on the table so that if a soul would want a drink he could take a drink out of the bucket and if he would be hungry he could eat the bread. Next morning the people of the house look in the ashes. If there are any tracks of feet in the ashes and if the track is turning next the fire it is a sign someone is coming to the house.(continues on next page)
