The wren day falls on the 26th of December. On that day, boys go out in a procession, hunting the wren. They dress themselves up in different kinds of clothes, and play music. One of them plays carries a holly bush, dressed with ribbons, and a dead wren tied to one end of its branches. The man with the bush is always cashkeeper.
An old story says, that the start of hunting the wren was, that, when the Danes were in Ireland, and Irish army were in ambush to attack the Danes, and a wren flew on a drum, and made a noise on it. When the Danes heard the noise, they knew that they were to be attacked, and they got ready. Then the Irish army killed the wren, and tied him on a holly bush. That is the custom ever since.
When the wren boys go to a house, they sing a song about the wren. Nearly every batch sings a different song. One of them is
The wren, the wren, the king of all birds
On St, Stephen’s Day he was caught in the furze
I followed my wren through frost and snow,
I followed my wren, five miles and more

St Stephen's Day falls on the 26th December . On that day numbers of school boys go hunting the wren . The Day before St. Stephens day they catch a wren and they put him in a holly bush and they go around from home to house and when they go into each house they say give us some thing to bury the wren . When they go into the house they say 'The wren , the wren , the king of all birds St. Stephen's Day ws caught in the furze ,although she is little her family is great stand up old landlady and vie us a treat. Up with the title and down with the pot give us your answer and let be off . Year's ago the people used to throw loaves of bread against the door in order to keep out the hunger for the year . On New Year's Eve they used also lay a table before they used to go to bed in order to keep the hunger away for the year. They used also put money outside the door so that they would never be short for the year.

Festival Customs.

St Stephen's Day is another name for the Wren's day. Last Stephen's day Johny Humphreys, Charlie O'Reilly, his brother Kevin and myself decided to go out with the wren. On Christmas day we got a holly bush and decorated it with ribbons, but we did not take any wren for people are not allowed to kill them now. Then we prepared our clothes and we had everything ready early that evening. Charlie had a mouth organ, Johny a bazun, and I a drum, and Kevin was to

a house.
"The wren, the wren, that I brought here,
I plucked his wings and shaved his beard,
I followed my wren through frost and snow,
I followed my wren five miles or so,
I followed my wren as far as Kilrush,
And brought him home on a holly bush,
So up with the kettle and down with the pan,
And give us a treat to bury the wren."

On every St. Stephens Day boys and men disguise themselves, blacken their faces, wear masks, and go around from house to house with holly bushes decorated with ribbons on their shoulders, singing the wren song and collecting money. This is what the y sing: "The Wren, the Wren, the King of all birds, St. Stephens Day she was caught in the furs, up with the kettle and down with the pan give us some money to bury the Wren. We followed this Wren all day, all day through ditches, dikes through mud and clay, we knocked her down and she couldn't see, in Ballyhudane we broke her knee. A bottle of wine a bottle of beer I wish he all a happy new year. Up with the kettle and down with the pan, give us our answer and let us be gone.
St. Brighids Eve.
On St. Brighids Eve a ribbon

The custom on St Stephen's Day that boys and men gather together and go in a procession from house to house. They get a bush with coloured papers and they sing the wren song at each house to get a penny. It is boys who generally go singing the wren. The song is, The wren, the wren the king of all bird's = On St Stephen's day she was caught in the furze=with a stroke of my wattle I broke her knee=An I followed into a holly tree=Now Mr So and So you are a good man=To your Hall door I brought this wren=Although she is little her family is great=Rise up landlady and give us a treat=Up with the kettle and down with pan give us our answer and let us be gone. On St Bridgets day a piece of cloth is hung out and a mat of rushes is put at the door for St Bridget to stand on while blessing the homes. On St Patrick's day a shamrock or a harp is worn in honour of him. In the cities there is a procession through the town and the national anthem is played. It is a custom on shrove to get married. The custom on Ash Wednesday to get the sign of cross on the forehead with blessed ashes. On Chalk people chalk bachelors that are not married. The custom on Easter Saturday to go gathering eggs. The custom on May day is to work pisogues. The custom on St John's day is to light a bonfire. These Holidays are to be kept hold.

wren was hidden in his tail and he flew above the eagle who could fly no higher. The eagle tried to catch him to kill him but the wren hid in a hedge where he remains every since.
When St. Stephen was hiding a wren flew out from the bush behind which he was hiding and so betrayed his presence. The soldiers caught him and stoned him. Ever since he is hunted by the wren boys on account of that.

There are lots of songs connected with the wren for St. Stephen's day.

The custom long ago on St. Stephen's Day was hunting the Wren. It is kept up all over the country yet On that morning they go in a batch to country places and towns playing music and singing the wren song as follows. "
The wren the wren the king of all birds.
St Stephen's Day he was caught in the furge.
Although he being little his family was great.
Rise up land lady and give us a treat.
We followed this wren through frost and snow.
We followed this wren ten miles or more.
We followed this wren to Kilbrush.
And we brought him here on a holly bush.
And to your house we brought him here.

There are many old customs carried out in this locality in connection with festivals. Amongst the most popular is "The Wren" on st. Stephen's Day, better know as Wren Day.

On St. Stephen's day every year an old custom called the wren is carried out by the young men and boys of Ireland.
The wren boys come and bring a dead wren on a holly tree and they wear masks and go from house to house playing music and dancing and they ask for money for the wren.
On Shrove Tuesday night people eat pancakes because it is the eve of a long fast.
On Christmas night another old custom is carried out. People light candles to honour the birth of Our Lord because on that night a star gave light to the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph.

The wren 21-12-1938
Many years ago all the birds gathered together and wanted to have a king. The birds were satisfied that the bird that would fly the highest was to be their king. All the birds flew up into the air and the eagle far above them looked down and shouted, "I am the king of all birds." But the wren hopping out from beneath the eagle's wing shouted "You are not the king yet" and he flew still higher. The eagle was too tired to follow him and the wren was the king. When the wren came down out of the air the birds said he was too small and they proposed to drown him. But no water was to be found so all the birds began to cry into a bowl. When the bowl was filled with tears the clumsly owl tripped over the bowl and spilt it. They had all their tears shed and had nothing to drown him and he is still the king of all birds.

An old story
Years ago all the birds gathered together to know which one of them would become the king. They started flying at the same moment into air. After some time the eagle felt tired and could not go any higher. The eagle thought he had been the highest and would be the king of all birds.
The wren just flew from beneath the eagles wing and soared into the air. The wren been the smallest bird became the king of all the birds. The eagle was far up in the air from the rest of the birds the wren got from under the eagles wing and got very far into the air and from that day to this the wren held the title.

On St. Stephen's day boys and men go around from house to house with decorated bushes looking for alms. They decorate the bushes with ribbons and coloured papers. The song they sing is; the wren, the wren the king of all birds, Saint Stephen's day he was caught in the furze, up with the kettle and down with the pot, give us our answer and let us be off. The people give them money. The wren boys divide the money between them. The custom on Saint Bridget's night is to put a piece of cloth out on a bush. In the morning it would be blessed. This is called Brat Braider. The custom on Saint Patrick's day is to wear a badge in honour of Saint Patrick. Long ago girls wore harps on the shoulder of their coats. Chalk Sunday is the Sunday after Shrove Tuesday. On that day people put chalk on the bachelors backs. On Holy Thursday for the altar of the church to be decorated with flowers. This is called the composition of the blessed sacrement. On Saint John's night a bonfire is lit. On the first of May holy water is sprinkled on every animal. People also make pishogues. On Saint Stephen's day boys and men gather together and go around from house to house singing the wren.
On Easter Sunday people eat eggs.

On Saint Stephen's Day a number men boys go in procession with decorated bushes. They had a wren in the middle of the bush. They go in groups. The wren song is said in many different ways.One of the song is the wren the wren the king of all birds, St. Stephen's day he was caught in the furze, from bush to bush from tree to tree in Ballyorgan he broke his knee. Up with the kettle and down with the pan, give us our answer and let us be gone. Some of the men play mouthorgans or melodians. They got a penny or twopence at every house. they would have a lot of at the end of the day. When two or three groups would meet, they would put their money together. They would have a dance that night and bring refreshments. They would dress in women's clothes. They cover their faces with masks or pieces of cloth. They would have a and with them. On Saint Patrick's day all Irish people wear the shamrock or the harp. People send boxes of shamrocks to their friends in England or America and to other countries. Shrove is a special time for people to get married.

Saint Stephen's day is on the 26th of December. It is the day after Christmas day. It is called St. Stephen's day because he died on that day. On Saint Stephen's day the children go around from house to house with a holly bush decorated with ribbons and a wren's nest on it with a wren or an imitation of one in it. When they go to the houses they start singing.
"The wren the wren the king of all birds.
St. Stephen's day she was caught in the furze

most farmers houses. They sometimes visited the Great Houses, but their reception depended on the humour of the Land Lord. They were often kindly treated and exhibitions of Step-dancing singing and music were much appreciated.

the magpie that showed the rest of the birds how to build a nest. The pigeon left when the nest was only started and that is why she has only a few sticks in her nest. The rest of the birds except the wren left before the nest was completed. The wren waited to see the nest finished and that is why she has her nest covered like the magpie. The curlew does not build her nest in this district. When the curlew gives a double note it is a sign of rain and when she gives a sign of fine weather. The wren is the smallest of all the birds but lays the greatest number of eggs. She lays about ten eggs. The nest is made in a hole in a

Long ago there was a man not far from Rathkeale and he was great for singing and dancing. He was able to teach all kinds of dancing. His name was David Wren. He danced the Horn-pipe in many plays in Dublin and Limerick. He taught music to many people in Rathkeale and many other villages around. David Wren was teaching music also dancing up to three years before he died. He sang some of the hardest songs in Ireland. He was always called the Champion of Ireland for teaching music also dancing. David Wren died i the year 19-34. All the people of Rathkeale regretted his death.