School: Druim (roll number 16557)
- Location:
- Drum, Co. Galway
- Teacher: Máiréad Ní Dhubháin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0051, Page 0261
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- XML Page 0261
- XML “Marriage Customs”
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- The hauling home of the bridge on the occasion of a marriage was a great event in this locality in my grandmother's time, up-to-fifty years ago. The bridal party arrived at the church; the groom with his own friends, and the bride with hers. Then the ceremony of marriage was performed on horseback, especially, when there was a journey of three to twenty miles. The bridegroom mounted a horse and then helped the bride up behind him. These two on horseback led the way home, followed by dozens of followers on their houses. On the back of each horse a man and a woman.
This was a merry crowd and there was cheering all along the route, and bonfires blazed at every turn and on every hill and every horse was opened on to beat the others.
On that night, when they arrived at the married man's house they would first have a feat.
Soon the musicians would arrive one or two of the younger folk with concertinas and an old bearded man with his bagpipes under his arm.
The real fun now begins, a boy grabs a girl by the arm and pulls her on to the floor. They each pair dances a jig or a reel or a hornpipe and keeps excellent(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Mary Larkin
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- 13
- Occupation
- Pupil
- Address
- Knockmoyle West, Co. Galway
- Informant
- Mrs Julia Flynn
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- 86
- Occupation
- Farmer
- Address
- Knockmoyle West, Co. Galway
