School: Rooskey
- Location:
- Roosky, Co. Mayo
- Teacher: Martin J. Casey
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0115, Page 188
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- XML “Festival Customs”
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- Festivals Customs contd.
It is a custom in my village on the twelfth night to light twelve rush candles about three inches long. All the skin is hulled off the rushes except one thin bit that stretches up the length of it. This is left on to strengthen it and it helps it to burn.
The rushes are then dried by the fire and then steeped in grease for a while. Then you make a round cake of mortar in which to catch them. After you have them stuck in, you throw a little ashes on them on them as the candles will light quicker by putting ashes on them.
These candles are marked by the members of the house. If any of them are away, some of the candles are mentioned for them. All who are in the house sit round the candles while they are burning. Each one wishes his own to last the longest. As the old people say you will die on your turn as your candle dies all this is done in honour of the twelve apostles.
Mary ellen Hunt
Culmore
Rooskey
Doocastle
Ballymote
Co. MayoTold to me by
John Hunt
Culmore
Roosky
Doocastle
Ballymote
Co.Mayo
- Collector
- Mary Ellen Hunt
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Roosky, Co. Mayo
- Informant
- John Hunt
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Roosky, Co. Mayo
