School: Baile Mac Rabhartaigh (roll number 3978)
- Location:
- Ballymagrorty, Co. Donegal
- Teacher: Mícheál Ó Fiannaidhe
Open data
Available under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
- XML School: Baile Mac Rabhartaigh
- XML Page 175
- XML “Christmas Customs”
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On this page
- A band of grown up boys gaily dressed in ribbons, false faces and bright coloured [colored?] clothing with tall hats travel round the houses about two weeks before Christmas. These boys are called Mummers.There is a captain in the band. He enters the house and introduces his merry men, with this rhyme.Room, room for gallant boys.Any room to cheer.Christmas comes but once a year and when it comes it brings good cheer. If you dont [don’t?] believe what I say enter in “Green Knight.”Then the young man called “Green Knight” enters in and repeats his rhyme:Here comes I Green Knight with my rifleMy head is made of ironMy body made of steelMy fists are made of knuckle boneI’m ready for the field.If you don’t believe what I say enter in “Jack Steeple” [sic] Then a young man enters in and repeats his rhyme. When all the band have repeated his [him?] their rhyme, the captain goes round the house collecting the money. In this district the Christmas feast is held on Christmas day. There is a turkey or a goose for dinner with plum pudding after. The second day of Christmas is called St. Stephens Day(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Brendan Mc Cormack
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 11
- Address
- Ballintra, Co. Donegal