School: An Ghráinseach, Mainistir Fhearmuighe (roll number 12700)
- Location:
- An Ghráinseach Thiar, Co. Chorcaí
- Teacher: Pádraig Ó Díomsaigh
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0377, Page 217
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- XML School: An Ghráinseach, Mainistir Fhearmuighe
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- XML “Festival Customs - Saint John's Eve”
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- St. John's Eve or bon-fire night as it is called locally falls on the 23rd of June each year. Various customs are carried out in this district (Cornhill, Fermoy, Co Cork) on that night, the principal one being bon-fire lighting.Up to recent years cross-roads used be almost impassable with bon-fires and for a month after, the sign would remain on the road. The unmarried people then try to jump the fire. If a person's clothes are burned by the fire it is said that they will not get married at all.Fires are also lit on farms on this night. Those are lit with straw, and dock-roots that have been picked out of new mown hay. When it is lighting briskly a stalk is pulled out of the potato garden and held over the blaze until it is burnt to the end of the stem. Then a little bit of stem is kept and buried where the stalk was pulled.When the blaze subsides the bawn of cows are brought and made jump over it. It is said that the cow that jumps over(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Peggy Twomey
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Carraig na gCruach, Co. Chorcaí
- Informant
- Mrs Roche
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- 59
- Address
- Carraig na gCruach, Co. Chorcaí
