School: Uachtar Árd (roll number 4786)

Location:
Oughterard, Co. Galway
Teacher:
An tSr M. S. Iognáid
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0065, Page 189

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0065, Page 189

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  3. XML “Customs at Christmas”

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  1. (continued from previous page)
    mummers. Some of them play, others sing, and others dance. They do be all dressed up. The children go around with a piece of holly looking for money for the wren. This is the rhyme they say
    The wren the wren the king of all birds
    Saint Stephens day he was caught in the fire
    Although he was little his family was great Arise up land ladies and give us a treat
    All silver no brass give us the price of half a glass
    I followed this wren this live long day
    Through bushes and briars and yellow clay
    I met this wren upon a rock
    I flung my stick and broke his back,
    And knocked him into a brandy shop
    Up with the kettle and down with the pans
    Give us our answer and let us begone.
    On the twelfth night the people light twelve candles and put them on the windows. They also put names on the candles and they say that the person whose name is on the candle that burns first will be the first to die
    Mary Heffernan
    Oughterard
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. events
      1. events (by time of year) (~11,476)
        1. Christmas (~455)
    Language
    English
    Collector
    Mary Heffernan
    Gender
    Female
    Address
    Oughterard, Co. Galway