School: Tiobraid (roll number 9996)
- Location:
- Tubrid More, Co. Kerry
- Teacher: Tadhg Ó Ciarmhaich
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0414, Page 083
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- Tubrid,
Ardfert,
Jan 12th 1938.Dear Tony,
I wish to tell you how I spent Saint Stephen's Day. Saint Stephen's Day falls on the twenty-sixth day of December. On that day all the boys and girls go out with the wren. They put on false faces and dress up in old clothes. Then they go from house to house with a wren on a bush of holly looking for money to bury the wren. At each house they sing dance and play music. Then they get m oney and they go away. The song they sing at each house is about the wren. The song is,
"The wren, The wren
The king of all birds,
On St. Stephen's day he was caught in the furze,
Although he is little,
His family is great,
Get up, my dear lady,
and give us a treat.
In the evening they divide the money and buy sweets, apples, cakes and many other things. Dear Tony I hope you will be pleased with my account of St. Stephen's Day.
I remain, Dear Tony
Yours truly,
Pat Cantillon.
- Collector
- Pat Cantillon
- Gender
- Male
