School: Mullingar (Pres. Convent) (roll number 934)
- Location:
- An Muileann gCearr, Co. na hIarmhí
- Teacher: Sr. Brigid
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0736, Page 030
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- MAY DAYOn May eve it was an old custom to cut a fairly large white-thorn bush and erect it on "The Bán", which was a green plot usually seen before houses built in county at that time. It was decorated with bunches of primroses and other early flowers, and with ribbons. It was erected to honour the "Month of Mary," and was called the May-bush.
THE MAY POLEAnother old custom was the erection of a May Pole. A tapering pole about 30' long was stripped of all its branches and peeled. To the top were tied long streams of ribbons of different colours. The pole was then fixed in the ground - on the green patch where four roads met (On first Sunday in May) Every Sunday evening during the month a dance commenced about five o'clock and lasted until nine or ten. People came to it from all directions by the different roads. Fiddler, pipes and tambourine
- Collector
- Rita Mc Cormack
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- An Muileann gCearr, Co. na hIarmhí
- Informant
- James Mc Hugh
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Páirc an Spidéil, Co. na hIarmhí
