School: Cloonmagunnane (roll number 13114)
- Location:
- Cloonmagunnaun, Co. Roscommon
- Teacher: T. Rogers
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0238, Page 165
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- XML “Festival Customs”
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- (continued from previous page)nuts cracking, attempting to catch suspended apple in mouth, melting lead, and stories about fairies and the puca give them a great deal of pleasure.
In every home the woman of the house makes a cake and puts a ring in this. The cake is eaten in the evening and all the children find great pleasure while the meals is taking place. It is said that whoever gets the ring will be the first to marry. In some of the homes the ring is put in Colcannon - a special food prepared for the occasion - and a ring is put in it by the woman. All sit round the table on the centre of which is a large dish of the colcannon. All eat from this dish. There is much excitement and talk and merriment while the colcannon is being eaten and now and again is heard "Who'll get the ring?". Cabbage stealing or robbing the garden was a pastime in which boys and young men took much pleasure on Hallowe'en. The men of the house guarded his cabbages as well as he could. Sometimes he was armed with a club or hayfork.
It is said that neither blackberries nor haws should be plucked or eaten after Hallowe'en. It is said that the puca spits on these and that it is not "right" to eat them.
New Year's day is a great feast of the church - the feast of the Circumcision. It comes within the twelve days of Christmas and the Christmas feasting and rejoicing is continued.
On New Year's day everybody makes good resolutions. Superstitious people would not take out ashes, throw out water, clean out byres or spend money on New Year's day.(continues on next page)
