School: An Ghráinseach, Mainistir Fhearmuighe (roll number 12700)
- Location:
- Grange West, Co. Cork
- Teacher: Pádraig Ó Díomsaigh
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0377, Page 202
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- Some of the games which the boys of this district play are "Chestnuts", "Tig" and Soldiers. We only play these when we have no ball for playing football.
Two players take part in the game of Chestnuts or "Cracking Nuts". Each player has a large horse-chestnut on the end of a string about 1½ feet long. It is secured by boring a hole in the nut with a nail, passing the string through and putting a knot on the end to keep the nut from falling off. The other end of the string is wound round the hand. The players take shots in turn each trying to crack or smash the other player's nut. One player holds his nut in a perpindicular manner, stretching his hand out and allowing the nut to hang from by means of the string which he holds firmly. The other aims to strike it with his own nut which he swings by means of the string. The winner is of course the player whose nut lasts longest. It is a common thing for boys to have pocketfuls of horse-chestnuts in the Autumn when they fall off the trees.
The following is a description of the playing of "Tig". A number of children are gathered together and one of them is said to be "it" (the hunter). He chases the others until he tips one of them with his hand. That player is then "it" and must take his turn(continues on next page)
- Collector
- John Foley
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Labbacallee, Co. Cork
