School: Sliabh na Cille (roll number 14513)
- Location:
- Slievenakilla, Co. Leitrim
- Teacher: Peadar Mac Fhlannchadha
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0206, Page 445
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- XML “Festival Customs”
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- It is a custom with the young boys in this district to go out on St. Stephen's Day from house to house gathering money. They gather together on Christmas Night and search for wrens in the eaves of houses. On the next day (St. Stephen's Day) each one gets a stick to the top of which he ties a piece of holly. Then he puts a dead wren into a match box and ties the box beside the holly. If they have not wrens for all they put feathers in the boxes instead.Then they start to travel about from house to house gathering money. When they go inside a house, they repeat the following rhyme:" The wren, the wren, the king of all birds,
St. Stephen's Day she was caught in the furze,
Although she is small, her fasnily is great,
I hope you will give us the price of a treat,
If you treat it be small it will not please the wren boys all,
So up with the kettle adn down with the pan,
Give us the money to bury the wren
Money we want and money we crave,
And if we don't get money we will send ye all to yer (your)
grave"When they get the money they continue their journey and do the same in every house. If they get a penny or two in every house, they are satisfied. When they are finished travelling in the evening, they go to some house and the boy who is(continues on next page)
