Wedding festivals; "The straw boys" During the night of the wedding a crowd of straw boys would collect with their faces covered and old clothes on them. They sing and dance after which they drink porter and go away. As a rule they seek out the bride in order to dance with her; sometimes they ask the groom's permission to kiss the bride and it causes great fun. In some districts strawboys are not admitted to the wedding; the often create disorder and demand drink, using threats. In olden times it was the custom for the groom to stay a week or so in the house of the brides parents. It often happened when a girl would know her father would be sittling a match she would steal away and get married to the man of her choise. At the present time marriages are not so much arranged by the parents as in former years and there are very few weddings. The bride and groom go to the church in a motor-car. Then they go to the brides home for breakfast after which they go to Dublin or some other place for their honeymoon. It is considered lucky to tye an old shoe to the car in which the bride and groom travels.Amy Earley