Foods -- "Colcannon"
When colcannon is to be made a number of good boiled potatoes is placed in an iron pot and bruised into pulp by means of a beetle kept for the purpose. The beetle is nicely shaped, generally like the figure at side of page. The small end was held in the hand or hands, and with the large end the potatoes were bruised or pounded up. Sometimes a little warm milk and "chives" were added. The chives were like very small leeks and used to be grown in every garden long ago. They were also used in soups. When the boys and girls came home from school each took a turn at the beetle and it was work they all enjoyed. The colcannon was placed on plates and a round hole was made with a spoon in the centre of each heap. Into this hole a good lump of butter was placed, and sometimes it melted of its own accord, and sometimes, when the lump was rather big, the melting process was hastened by covering it over with some hot colcannon which was removed when the butter had melted. The children sat around with spoons. As each lifted a small quantity of the colcannon he dipped it into the butter in the centre of the heap and then ate his fill. The circle of colcannon around the butter-hole became thinner and thinner until in the end all was gone and generally the last bits were nicest of all for they were well soaked in butter.
Narrator: Same as for "Boxty" "Potato Cake"

Long ago there was a custom of making colcannon on Hallow Eve night. It used to be called colcannon night. Everyone used to make it, both rich and poor. It was made from potatoes mashed up and milk and butter put on it. The farmers used to give their workmen a quart of milk and a pound of butter on Hallow Eve night for the colcannon.

Hallowe'en night is called Colcannon Night too, as we eat Calcannon for our supper.

The people made colcannon in the harvest. It is made in this way. First we get a bucket of potatoes. They are then washed clean. After this they are peeled. They are then put in a bucket of clean water and washed again.
They are put in a pot of clean water and put over the fire to boil. When they are boiled they are taken off the fire. They are then drained. When they are drained they are pounded with a pounder. When the potatoes are well pounded there is new-milk and salt put in them. They are mixed again also. After this the colcannon is lifted up on plates. Then there is a little hole put in the middle of the colcannon. There is a bit of butter put in the hole then. After this it is ready for eating. Colcannon

Last Monday night was Halloween night. It is a great night of fun. All the people look forward to it especially the children and the big boys. It is also called colcannon night or Amlais night. It is called colcannon night because colcannon is used in every house hould that night. It is called halloween night because it is the eve of all saints day. It is called amlais night because the big boys and some times even the girls go gathering alms that night. They dress up in strange attire and go around from house to house gathering alms. They put on masks and dress in bags so that people couldn't know them. They get a bottle and break off the end of it and when they come near a house they blow into the bottle which makes a loud noise just like the bob. Then the woman of th house comes out and give..

Old Dennis McLoughlin lived in Sheepstown, Delvin and it was a custom of his mothers to leave Colcannon on the fort for the fairies, on a feast night. His mother died and he got a dirty old cook called Kitty Andy. One night he was after serving the fort with colcannon for the fairies, he met a leprecaun. Old Dennis said "Now, me boy, I have you and tell me where I'll get a lot of money. You should tell me where I'll get it and (you) I so good to you leaving out colcannon the whole year for you." Then the leprecaun said "In your mother's time the butter was lovely, but since you got your clotty old servant, I had to turn to wax-end. The hairs that were through it made bristles for my wax-end. "But I'll tell you where you'll get the money. I'll leave a white mushroom beside the fort

added and a quantity of new milk.
The pot was again placed on the fire for a short time and the contents stirred with the pounder already mentioned. When heated sufficiently the pot was taken from the fire, and the colcannon placed on plates. A hole or well was made in the top of each plateful and into this a lump of butter was put. The heat of the colcannon melted the butter, and as each person took a spoonful of colcannon he dipped it in the liquid butter before eating.
The colcannon finished, apples and nuts were then distributed. A tub of water was then procured and an apple placed in this. Each person in the company approaches the tub in turn, knelt beside it, had his hands tied behind his back, and endeavoured to seize the apple with his mouth. This provided great sport as frequently one of the contestants went sprawling on his head into the water.
Two hazel nuts were now placed beside the fire one representing the female lover, the other the male. Should they remain side by side until they are burned, then the lovers will be married. Sometimes however the one

to remain over the fire to dry. Then salt was added & pounded until the potatoes were fine. Milk (new) was then added, and all pounded well again. Then the Colcannon was put out on plates & eaten with butter. New potatoes are generally used for the making of this Colcannon. It is still made in the area particularly on Hallow Eve for supper.

at supper. There was always great excitement. The one to find the ring in the colcannon would be soonest married. Nowadays a ring is put in a sweet cake or barm brack instead of colcannon.

Colcannon or Callie.
A very popular dinner for Fridays in most country districts around here. It is made of potatoes, onions boiled milk salt pepper and served with melted butter.
Wash and peel the potatoes, boil until soft. Peel, and chop the onions very fine. Boil the milk about a quart to a good sized pot of potatoes When the potatoes are boiled strain them dry, then get the pounder and pound add the onions pepper and salt and pound again, then spill in the boiling milk and pound again. Keeping the Colcannon very hot serve on plates making a well in the centre of each helping of colcannon into which the melted butter is poured. It is delicious when properly done and served, but not by any means a satisfying meal.

The eve of All Saint's day is the thirty-first day of October. It is known as Hallowe'en. On that night people usually remained indoors, as it was believed that ghosts and other spirits roamed about.
Many customs and superstitions are connected with that day. They have faded away in many parts of Ireland. On that day colcannon is eaten in many houses and a ring is put in it. It is said that the one who gets the ring while eating the colcannon will be married within a year. On Hallowe'en a brack is also eaten, a ring is put in the brack, and it holds the same superstition as the ring in the colcannon. Apples and nuts are also eaten in the night.
A old superstition is to go out into the garden and pull a head of cabbage when it is dark. If the head is long and crooked your future

During the famine days times were very bad and everything was very dear. People used go very far looking for work and some used come from afar looking for work.There is in James Daly's field in Sheepstown, Delvin heaps of broken stones and a bush beside each heap. People used get four pence a day and their breakfast and dinner and after their day's work they used wait for their supper of stirabout. When times got worse they got their dinner of colcannon and nothing else. Then sometimes they got their choice of sixpence a day and no colcannon. There used to be a big notice up "Sixpence a day and no colcannon. Take your choice".Some people used have only one meal a day. This meal would be at eight or nine oclock at night. At this meal they would have some oats wheat or rye boiled together. No one used be seen in daylight for they were afraid to

(i) Colcannon. from the earliest times it has been the custom in this district to make colcannon for Hallow ien. The first plate of this is kept for the fairies lest they should while changing from their Summer residence to their Winter home. No salt should be put on their portion. Colcannon is made on this night also to commemorate the end of the digging of the potatoes.(ii) Cabbage. It is an old custom for the young people to kick cabbage around the district on this night. It is also hung on door knobs and door-steps. The reason for this custom is unknown.(iii) Moon. On this night if there is a moon people try to determine the time of their marriage by leaving a vessel of water out in the open and by holding a mirror over it. The number of moons one then sees in the water is equal to the number of years until he is married.(iv) Nuts. Sitting around the fire on November night, a boy's name is put on one nut and a girl's name on another. They are

that followed him.
He then returned home to his hut and he says, Mother, I have a good means of supporting my wife and child now. I have a table cloth and any time you wish for all sorts of eating and drinking you'll have it. Dear son, My heart is sore for a feed of colcannon. How will I dirty my table cloth with your colcannon? but as you wish for it you must have it.
She made a hearty meal on the colcannon. He felt happy being able to maintain his wife for the year. Another year passed by and there was another young son born. Hallow eve came again and he said he would visit the fort to see what the fairies were doing to-night. There were two men on the piers of the gate or guard again. He asked them what the fairies were doing inside. They said, go along you fool, you have robbed the fairies for the last two years. You have taken the King of Scotland's daughter that we had for a wife for the King, and the table cloth that we had for his support. He drew the whip and knocked them down again. They said don't kill us and we'll

FoodIn olden times the special food for Hallow Eve was colcannon. First of all the potatoes were washed and peeled and put in a large pot to boil. When they were boiled they were strained and mashed and put on plates on the table. When it was ready the men were called to their supper and they ate the colcannon with large spoons.

was eaten very sparingly and when it was eaten it usually was salt meat. Certain kinds of food were ate on special occasions. These occasions were Shrove Tuesday, Easter Sunday, and Hollow Eve night. On Shrove Tuesday boxty bread was eaten by the old people and on Hallow Eve colcannon was used. Eggs were eaten on Easter Sunday and it was a custom to gather the egg-shells to decorate the May bush. Colcannon is made by peeling and boiling potatoes. When they were boiled they were mashed with a pot stick and milk and salt was added with them. Then it was ready for use. The first tea used in this district was used about eighty years ago. Before cups became common mugs were used. The earliest drinking vessels were called noggins. They were made of wood and were round in shape with a handle in the side of it.

On HALLOW EVE NIGHT the 31st October apples and nuts and sweet cakes are eaten. On this night the old people were afraid to leave their houses after dark as they believed that all the departed spirits were free to roam about and to come back to the the houses they once inhabited. Colcannon, that is mashed potatoes and butter was eaten also on that night and when going to bed the woman of the house left some colcannon on a plate for the "Good people" as the spirits were called. A lot of tricks was played on this night long alo and some are still played in this district yet. The young men used to

Potatoes mashed and mixed with onions are cooked up and served up on "Colcannon Night" - Last night of September.
Butter is put in a little hole on top of the Colcannon.

is then spread on the ridges, and the clay from the furrows shovelled over that. When the buds are about an inch above the clay the furrows are again dug and the clay shovelled over the ridges. This is the last operation, except weeding. When the new potatoes are dug they are often made into colcannon. For this they are peeled, boiled, chopped with a pounder, softened with new milk, flavoured with salt and sometimes with scallions (green onions). The colcannon is served on plates with a small well of melted butter in the middle. Potatoes are also made into boxty bread.

Long ago they used all go to the one house, old people and young people. They used to make colcannon or boxty, and put a ring or something else in it. They used to sit all round the table, and the oldest person used to serve the colcannon to the young people. The young boys and girls used to lie on a harrow that night. They used to write their names on pieces of paper, and put them at some lone bush in the middle of a field, and they used to think that the boy's or girl's name that they would be married to would be written opposite their own name. Anyone that knew of another one doing this would go to the bush and write someone's name opposite the boy's or girl's name.