On Saint Stephens's day, the boys go round from house, to house with a wren. They are called the wren boys. They have an old rhyme about the wren. The wren, the wren, the king of all birds, Saint Stephens's day, she was caught in a furze, up with the kettle, and down with the pan, give me some money to bury the wren. The people give the boys, a penny or twopence to bury him.

often call the wren "King of all Birds".

On St. Stephen's Day many boys chase the wren. When the wren is caught the boys go around from house to house saying : Give us a penny to bury the wren". When they have the money collected they divide it with one another.

There are several festival days during the year. St. Stephen's Day is one of those days. Hunting the wren is the custom on this day. As a rule, the wren boys dress in all sorts of queet costumes and provide a toy bird to represent the wren. They visit each house in the district, make a collection to bury the wren. They usually sing a few lines of an old song

St Stephen's Day is a great day of sport and it is a Bank Holiday too. Alot of people hunt the wren on that day. There is no school that day. The wren is dressed up in green and yellow ribbons while holly an ivy and mistletoe protect his dead body. Boys from twelve years up hunt the wren They sing the song of the wren.

nest on the ground usually in a cornfield. The nest is made of hay, and put together with mud. She lays five eggs.
When boys rob bird's nests they are told that it is a terrible sin and that the birds will forsake the nests.
When the [(cow)?] crows fly low it is an 'indication that rain is coming. When the seagulls come inland and fly low and go around cawing it is the sign of a storm.
The wren is called the king of all birds. it is a very tiny little bird. She is of a brown colour. The wren goes into the ditches picking and into the hedges. The wren builds a very big nest for her size with moss and lines it with hair. The mother bird often lays as many as eleven eggs. If you blow your breath or disturb the eggs in any way the little birds will frocke their nests. It is a sin to rob a bird's nest.
"He who shall hurt the little wren shoull never be beloved by men." The wren the wren the king of all birds. On Saint,

A very common custom among Irish people is following the wren on St. Stephen's Day. They dress up and go around from house singing the wren song. The words are
The wren, the wren, the kings of all birds
St. Stpehen's Day, she was caught in the furze

on the cross the the robin came and tried to pick out the nails from his hands and feet and some blood fell on the robins breast and that is the reason the robin has a red breast. The robin was supposed to bring the first grain of corn to Ireland when the Saints wanted it. The reason why the wren is killed and tortured on Saint Stephen's day in Ireland is there were an Irish army ready to jump on an English army that was passing and a wren flew up out of the bushes frightened and screaming. The English army knew at once that there was something behind the ditch, and they jumped the ditch on horses and killed the Irish soldiers and that is the reason the wren is killed on St. Stephen's Day.

Boys follow the wren on St Stephen's Day. They dress in their ordinary clothes but when they catch the wren they dress up and they go around to all the houses and say

The birds most commonly seen in this district are; the blackbird, thrush, robin, wren, magpie, crow, and starlings or blackstairs. The blackbird builds its nest in the bushes in the fields. The thrush builds its nest in the bushes also, and she lays five eggs in it. The blackbird lays the same number The robin lays five and sometimes six speckled eggs. The wren is a very small creature, but she makes a very big nest of horse hair and hay padded inside with wool - and so it is very cosy. The wren lays the full of her nest. The magpie is a very bold bird, and builds its nest in the treetops. The nest is made from grass and hay plastered inside with mud. They lay from two to three eggs. These are very big.
The magpie would kill chickens just as the hawk does. The crow builds its nest in the treetops as well as the magpie. The nest is made from little bits of sticks. A crow would pick anything and bring it to the nest. Sometimes the crow builds its nest in chimney tops. There is a great tradition of how the robin got its red breast. When Our Lord was dying

On St. Stephen's day the custom is with boys to kill the wren and go around the houses and sing.
"The wren the wren,
The king of all birds,
On St. Stephen's day,
She was caught in the furze.
Although she is small
Her honour is great
Rise up Land Lady
And give us a trate."
They generally get a penny at every house they go to. They also sing
"The wren the wren
The king of all birds
On St. Stephen's day
She was caught in the furze
Up with the kettle
And down with the pan
Give me a penny to bury the wren."
When the night comes they buy some nice things and have a party in one of the boys houses and sometimes they have a dance.
On St. Patrick's day the people all wear a shamrock in their coats. On

Mary Day: On Mary Day evening a hawthorn bush is placed in the middle of the village green. Bunches of wild flowers- cowslips, primroses, bluebells etc. are tied on this bush. Candles are also tied on it and lighted when it gets dark. All the young people gather together and dance round the bush and sing songs untill nearly midnight.This bush is called the may bush. The prettiest girl is chosen and crown-ed Queen of the Mary. A wreath of wild flowers is placed on her head and she presides at the May Day festivities.

Many people who hunt the wren go to the houses on St Stephen's day & say rhymes. They get money.
"The wren, the wren the king of all birds,
St. Stephen's day she was caught in the furze,
Little or not her family was great,
I pray you good lady to give us a treat
Up with the kettle & down with the pan,
Give us some money to bury the wren.

On St Brigids Eve people make rush crosses, and hang them up. They also light candles in the windows. On Shrove Tuesday people make pan-cakes and have nuts. On St. Stephen's Day, boys go hunting the wren. They dress up a bush and go around and gather money. There is an old song sung on that day

The swallow comes in April and migrates in October. The swallow builds her nest in sheds and houses. She lays from five to six eggs. The swallow does not stay with us like the wren the robin and the blackbird. The robin has a red breast. It is said that the robin wiped Our Lord's face with her breast and the wren told the soldiers where Our Lord was hiding. In the winter the wild ducks come. They build their nest beside the river

In each district in Ireland there is some custom for each feast day. One of the great days of the year is St. Stephen's. On that day a number of boys go in a procession from house to house with decorated holly and ivy and dress themselves in dresses and any old clothes they could get. When they go into a house they begin to sing the wren song which is as follows:

The Festival Customs 14 - 6 - '38
Each season of the year has its own festival customs. On the 29th June there is a bonfire lit in honour of St. Peter and Paul. On the 29th of September or Michaelmas day a goose is killed in honour of St. Michael. On St Martin's day, the 11th of November a fowl is killed and the blood is sprinkled on the doors to prevent sickness. On St. Stephen's day the people go to hunt the wren and they sing songs such as.
"The wren, the wren
The king of all birds.
On Stephen's day she was caught in the furs.
Up with the kettle and down with the pan
A penny or twopence to bury the wren"
They go about from house to house and collect money. On Easter Sunday the people boil a lot of eggs to see who would be

The names of the wild birds found in our district are Blackbird Thrush Robbin Wren Stare Wagtail Swallow Corncrake Cuckoo Woodquest Waterhen Sparrow

The robin red breast is a small bird. It builds its nest of moss, and leaves in a leafy bank, and lays six eggs. The eggs are coloured white with brown spots. This bird was at the foot of the cross on Mount Calvary, and its said that drops of blood fell on its breast. The swallow comes to us in April, and goes away in September. They build their nests in sheds with twigs and feathers. The eggs are coloured green. They remain with us for the summer, and then they go away from our shores. Its said that if a boy robs a swallow's nest the cows milk blood. The wren is a small bird coloured brown. It builds its nest in a wall, of twigs and hay It lays twenty eggs. The eggs are coloured brown. Its said that a boy who robs a wren's nest gets a lump on his hand.

The black-bird is coloured black with a red bill. She builds her nest in a hedge with twigs, and clay, and lines it with feathers. She lays four eggs, which are coloured blue with black dots. The wren builds her nest in a wall with moss, and lines it with hay. She lays twenty eggs, which are coloured brownish. It is said that a boy who robs a wren's nest gets a lump on his hand. There is a large bird called the Filipine. She builds her nest in a bog in rushes, and she lays four eggs. The eggs are coloured greyish.