School: Moycarkey, Thurles
- Location:
- Maigh Chairce, Co. Thiobraid Árann
- Teacher: Michael Myers
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0553, Page 366
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On this page
- St. Stephen's Day Customs.
On St Stephen's Day the old custom of "Following the Wren" is still practised. On that day young boys and young men band together in companies known as "Wrenboys" and go around the country, visiting every house. The object of the Wrenboys is to provide fun and amusement and to collect money.
At an early hour, on St Stephen's morning, the wrenboys dress and disguise themselves in old tattered clothing and sometimes in women's attire. They wear "eye fiddles" or blacken their faces so that it is seldom people recognise them. They take musical instruments such as melodeons, mouthorgans, or fiddle with them. When coming near a dwelling house they play lively tunes such as jigs and hornpipes, and when they come to the door steps, some good dancer among them gives a bout of dance. Then they sing a song such as
"The Wren, the Wren,
The King of all birds,(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Dominic Maher
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Torclach, Co. Thiobraid Árann
