School: Coolavin (roll number 10422)
- Location:
- Mainistir Réadáin, Co. Shligigh
- Teacher: Mícheál Ó Braonáin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0188, Page 256
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- XML “Festival Customs”
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- Many old customs are connected with the festival days throughout the year. On St. Stephen's Day - which is the 26th December, boys, and sometimes men, dress in peculiar cloths and travel around from house to house collecting money. They are titled "Wren Boys" and they usually travel in groups of five, or six. They wear false faces or any other covering on the face to prevent them from being known. At each house they sing and dance and play some musical instruments. These boys are always given a little money in every house and at the end of the day they divide the money equally among themselves.
In the local town it is customary on Shrove Tuesday - which is the Tuesday before Lent - to skatter salt on those who were expected to marry during "Shrove" but did not do so. The salt is shaken to keep them fresh till next year.
On St. John's night, the 24th June, a bon-fire is held in each village. The young boys and girls collect sticks and turf from every house in the neighbourhood and make a big fire. They dance and play around this fire till the early hours of the next morning.
At St. Attracta's well in this locality a pattern(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Maura Cryan
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- An Clochar, Co. Shligigh
- Informant
- William Cryan
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 46
- Address
- An Clochar, Co. Shligigh
