There are wild birds in our district and they are very plentiful. The names of the birds are, thrushes, blackbirds, robins, wrens, golf-finches, chap-finches, magpies, sparrows and crows. A wren builds her nest in a bush, and she makes the nest of of moss. It is a round nest with a little hole in it, just big enough for herself to pass in and out. A wren builds three or four nests, and she lays in the nest that is most comfortable. The wren lays about twenty eggs, and they are coloured brown. The wren sits on the eggs for three weeks before the young ones come out.

On St.Stephens day the boys of the district go with the wren. They disguise themselves. Some of them dress like girls. They wear masks and old clothes. They go from house to house singing,dancing, and playing music. They recite the following wren song; "The wren, the wren, the King of all birds, on St.Stephans day she was caught in the furs. Although she is small her family is great. Stand up young laddie and give us a treat. Up with the kettle and down with the pan. Give us some money and let us be gone. Look in the purse,

"The wren, the wren the king of all birds, St Stephen's Day he was caught in the furze, Up with the kette, down with the pan, Give us a penny to bury the wren."

to bury the dear little wren.

fall on him.
The "Jackdaw" which is a small,black, bird with a grey head, builds his nest in a hold in a wall. In a wall at my home, in a back wall of a boiling-house, there are pigeons nests, in which a jackdaw once built his nest. He built it inside the nest as if there was no nest there at all. A jackdaw can very easily be made a pet, when he is young. He can also be a rogue, and carry away everything he can to hide them.
The wren, which is one of the smallest birds to be found is disliked by the Irish people, because when the Danes were in Ireland the Irish were once going to attack them, while they were asleep in a wood and when the Irish were within some distance of them a wren suddently fluttered from a bush, and awakened the watchman, who quickly awakened the soldiers, and defeated the Danes. Ever since the wren is disliked by the Irish.
The wren builds her nest in a hedge. She buids a roofed nest, with a small hold in one side to let herself in. Although she is a very small bird she lays a very big amount of eggs usually fifteen. A poem concering the wren is,

"Folklore Customs"
On the 26th of December which is called Saint Stephen's day in this district young people dress up in every colour of costume and go about from house to house carrying a large bush. In the centre of it is a nest and a dead wren. These are called wren boys. The first around that comes to the door gets the most money for they are supposed to bring the best luck to the house. They sing at every door.
The wren, The wren, the king of all birds Saint Stephen's day she was caught in a furze. Although she is little her family was great. Rise

This had its origin in Central Europe. Another feast observed by custom. though dying out is Saint Martin's Day. This occurs every year from the 1st to the 11th of November. Some animal or bird is killed and bled in the four corners of the house this act is supposed to save the stock and all animals from sickness or if an animal was ill, if an animal was ill. if bled and offered to Saint Martin 'twas sure to recover. Lamb must be killed and eaten in the house, if cold it would a breach of honour or your word with the Saint.
Saint Stephen's day has its custom of getting a wren putting it on a holly bough bedecked with bright ribbons, nearly always an artificial wren carrying it round from house to house saying the wren the wren the king of all birds

Although he is little, his familys so great. I pray you good lady give us a treat. My box it would speak if it had but a tongue, And a penny or two would do it no wrong. Sing holly sing ivy, sing ivy sing holly. A drop just to drink would drown melacholy, And if you draw it of the best I hope in heaven soul may rest; But if you draw it of the small, it wont agree with the wren boys at all. But this is the song that the boys without any box sings
The wren the wren the king of all birds, St Stephens day was caught in the furze up with the kettle and down with the pan. Give me a penny to bury the wren if you haven't a penny a halfpenny will do. If you havent a halfpenny God bless you.
May

Many feasts are observed in a special manner each year in this district.
On St. Stephens Day a company of boys gather together and go in procession from house to house with decorated bushes singing the wren song. The wren the wren the king of all birds, on St Stephen's Day she was caught in the furze Although small she may be yet her family is great. Rise up like a flash and give us a treat. They gather money from the people. This money is said to be used to bury the wren, but the money they get is divided amongst them. They do not spend it in any special way.
St. Patricks Day is always kept a holiday in this district. It is the

On Saint Patrick's day the people go drinking and they call that drowning the shamrock.
On St. Stephen's day the wren boys go round saying this rime which they call the wren.
The wren the wren the king of all birds. St. Stephen's day she was caught in a fury. Up with the kettle and down with the pan. Give us our answer and let us be gone. I hushed her up and I kicked her down through Mountmellick town.
On St. Stephen's day two children dress in such a way that they would not be known.
One of the children carries a bush with all kinds of ribbons. The other child carries the money.
They say the following ryhme when they come to the door.
The wren the wren the king of all birds
St. Stephen's day she was

On St Stephen's Night the "Wren Boys" go round to the houses. The night "Wren Boys" are grown up young men. They dress themselves in old clothes some as men and some as women.

One of the biggest feasts that comes during the year is Christmas. It is a very happy time and everyone likes it.The people decorate their houses with holly.Cards are sent by the people, greeting each other,Christmas cards and new year cards. When people meet at Christmas they say,"I wish you a happy Christmas,and a bright new year", Candles are lit each night during the twelve nights of Christmas.Boys go round with wren on Saint Stephen's day.They catch the wren the night before.They put a vizard on them and they get money from the people

Festival Customs.
St. Stephen's day is a great feast day. On that day school boys go from house to house gathering money. They get a holly bush decorated with coloured papers and a dead wren on the bush. When they go to a house they stand outside the door and they play music and sing -

St. Stephens Day is a great feast day. All the boys about fourteen years of age dress on that day. They put on women's clothes and put vizards on their faces. They go in crowds from house to house gathering money. The first person carries a holly bush, with a dead wren on the top. The bush is decorated with ribbons. When they come to the house they play mouth-organs, tin-whistles and melodeons.. This is the song they sing:
"The wren, the wren, the king of all birds,
On St. Stephen's Day she was caught in the furze,
All tho' she was little her family is great,
Rise up our land-lady and give us a treat."
These boys are called wren-boys. The money they gather they divide it evenly among themselves.

In this district most feasts are observed in a special manner.
On St. Stephen's day boys and even young men go out through the country, dressed up in all kinds of old rags singing the wren song, which is:-
The wren, the wren, the king of all birds
On St. Stephen's days she was caught in the furze
Although she was small her family was great
Rise up land lady and give us a treat.
Up with the kettle and down with the pan
Give us a penny or two pence to bury the wren
We chased her up, we chased her down
We chased her into Rathdowney town
We dipped her tail in a barrel of beer
And we wish you all a Happy New Year.
Money is gathered and the wren boys spend it on food in shops.
On St. Patricks Day some people are very anxious to get a four leaved shamrock as they think it is lucky.
Pancakes and caulcannon are made on Shrove Tuesday. If a person was eligible to be married and did not do so until after Lent the people

St. Stephen's day is a great feast day. It comes after Christmas. School boys dress up in old clothes, and put vizards on their faces, and they go from one house to another. They have a holly bush decorated with coloured ribbons. The wren is killed and is put into the holly bush. When they go to the door they sing and ask for money. They have mouth organs and they play on them and they sing the song of the wren
"The wren, the wren, the king of all birds,
St. Stephen's day she was caught in the furze
Although she was little her family was great
Rise up our land-Lady and give us a treat.
Up with the kettle and down with the pan
Give us a feed and some money and then we'll go on"
They divide the money evenly among each other on St. Stephens night. They spend it in the shops.

much prized for table by the rich and gives good sport for shooting. It is found on moors and builds in tufts of rushes in the swamps. It lives on slugs, and worms. It has a very long beak. There is also found in the fields, and old meadows, the skylark. A small bird the king of song birds. It can be heard from April and through the Summer months singing as it soars high in the Sky. It builds on the flat ground, in the meadows and pasture. There are other good song bird's in this district. The thrush, Gold Finch, & the Linnet, The smallest bird found in this district or any other country is the Golden wren. The wren builds its nest in a mossy ditch and generally lays

eggs are blue, spotted brown. They hatch out their young in three weeks.
The robin is another bird which is familiar in this district. It builds its nest in bushes and in old houses. Its eggs are small and of an azure colour. Each robin has a red breast, because when Our Lord was dying on the Cross, they tried to pick out the nails out of His Hands and Feet. Their breasts became dyed with His Blood, and ever since they are known as Robin-red-breast. They generally remain inland, and hatch out their young in three weeks.
The wren is a small bird and is seldom ever seen. He is called the king of all birds. He builds the nest in the side of the ditches. It is made out of moss. The wren lays eighteen eggs, and are of a white colour. There is a custom in Ireland of hunting the wren on St. Stephen's day.
The swallow is a bird which which comes here from another country in Summer. It is of slate colour and has a forked tail. It is a sign that summer is near when the swallows begin to appear. They build their nests in the

Stephens day, All Saints day Little Christmas day Saint Patrick's day. Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Saturday, and Sunday, Saint Peter and Saint Pauls day, Shrove Tuesday, Whit Sunday and Monday, New Years day, Hallowe'en, May day.
Christmas day falls on the 25th of December. We keep this feast in honour of the birth of our Lord. All Saints day comes on the first of November. Little Christmas day comes twelve days after Christmas. This day is sometimes called twelfth day or old Christmas day. St Spehens day falls on the 26th of December., Many children go hunting the wren. On Christmas it is generally their custom to dress a stich with feathers. Then the get a box and dress it as well. This is the song they sing.
The wren, the wren the king of all birds
St Stephens day was caught in the furze.

The robin builds its nest in the ditch The blackbird builds its nest in the bushes and in hedges. The wren builds in old sheds. The swallow builds in the houses. The thrush builds its nest in the bushes. The robin lays six lays six eggs The wren lays sixteen spotted eggs. The blackbird lays three blue eggs. The swallow lays six spotted eggs. The thrush lays five blue eggs. All the birds sit on the eggs for three weeks. Then the shells break and the young birds come out. Boys are told that if they rob birds nests that the cows will milk blood. When a flock of stares will light near the house it is the sign of bad weather. When the swallows fly low it is the sign of hard weather. The swallows tell when the hawk in coming