School: Baile Mhic Dáibhid (Ballydevitte) (roll number 3854)

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1. Games I Play (continued)

   

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   opponents call “With you” before he calls he cannot take another “shot.”

   “Jackstones” was a favourite game long ago but it is not common now.

   A number of boys gathered five small pebbles each everyone of them about the size of a birds egg. Each boy placed a pebble on the back of his hand and pitched it into the air trying to catch it on the palm of the hand as it came down. Those who did not succeed in catching their pebbles were out of the game. Each of the boys who caught his pebble lifted another off the ground and threw both into the air. Then as quickly as he could he lifted another pebble at the same time trying to catch those he thrown up. This continued until all the pebbles were lifted. Here are a few lines of verse which those who were playing used to recite during the game :-

   “Cards and dice are the devils advice.
   But Jackstones are worse than all.
   “Quoits” was another favourite game also.

   In playing “quoits” a stone or flat piece of iron, called the “speed” was stuck into the ground Four was the limited number of players in this game and any two could be partners. All the

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. activities
      1. social activities (~7)
         1. entertainments and recreational activities (~5,933)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Patrick J. Muldoon

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   12

   Address

   Doonan, Co. Donegal

   Informant

   Seosaibh O' Maoldúin

   Relation

   Unknown

   Gender

   Male

   Occupation

   Saor adhmaid

   Address

   Doonan, Co. Donegal