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School: Cnoc, Abbeyleix (roll number 2324)

Location:
Knockardagur, Co. Laois
Teacher:
Seán Ó Huallacháin
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0831, Page 171

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0831, Page 171

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  1. XML School: Cnoc, Abbeyleix
  2. XML Page 171
  3. XML “Festival Customs”

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  1. Festival Customs

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    St. Stephens Day is a great feast day. All the boys about fourteen years of age dress on that day. They put on women's clothes and put vizards on their faces. They go in crowds from house to house gathering money. The first person carries a holly bush, with a dead wren on the top. The bush is decorated with ribbons. When they come to the house they play mouth-organs, tin-whistles and melodeons.. This is the song they sing:
    "The wren, the wren, the king of all birds,
    On St. Stephen's Day she was caught in the furze,
    All tho' she was little her family is great,
    Rise up our land-lady and give us a treat."
    These boys are called wren-boys. The money they gather they divide it evenly among themselves.
    St. Bridget's Day.
    St. Bridget's Day is a great feast day. All the young men dress in
    (continues on next page)
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    History Edit
    Topics
    1. events
      1. events (by time of year) (~11,476)
    Language
    English
    Collector
    Mary Brennan
    Gender
    Female
    Address
    Abbeyleix, Co. Laois
    Informant
    Mr M. Brennan
    Gender
    Male
    Address
    Abbeyleix, Co. Laois