School: Béal Átha an Dá Chab (2) (roll number 13976)
- Location:
- Béal an Dá Chab, Co. Chorcaí
- Teacher: J.W. Pollard
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0291, Page 458
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- (continued from previous page)kind of clothes, rags etc. They are called "wren boys". They carry a bush with them, and on the top of it there is a wren. This is why they are called "wren boys" because they carry a dead wren with them. A every house they sing a song, part on one which is:-
The wren, the wren, the king of all birds
St Stephen's day, he was caught in the furze
Up with your kettle and down with your pan
Give us our answer, and let us be gone.
On St Stephen's day there are races held in Durus and large number of people attends it.
On New Years Night it is the custom to ring in the year that is coming, and to ring out the Old Year, in all churches.
On Little Christmas Eve it is the custom to bring in the water early, because, it is believed that fairies come to the wells, and it is said that anyone who would go to the well on that night would be taken away. Long ago a woman went to a well fairly late and she never came home again, and it is said she was carried away by the fairies.
- Collector
- Thomas Kingston
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Ráth Dhreóin Mhór, Co. Chorcaí
