School: Gort an Ghainimh (roll number 16127)
- Location:
- Gortaganny, Co. Roscommon
- Teacher: M. Ó Cobhthaigh
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0242, Page 239
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- XML “Local Marriage Customs”
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- Marriages take place most frequently from the twelfth day after Christmas to the end of March, or to Shrove Tuesday. Anybody that does not get married during that time prefers to wait till Easter.
May is said to be the unlucky month of the year, while June is regarded as the luckiest. The tradition regarding week-days is:
Monday for health,
Tuesday for wealth,
Wednesday the best day of all,
Thursday for losses,
Friday for crosses,
Saturday no luck at all
And Sunday the next day to Wednesday.
Matchmaking is still carried on, but not so much as in former years. People remember marriages taking place in their homes. The father usually gave money, stock or goods as dowry to the daughter. In those times girls got married much younger than they do at present - some at fifteen etc. It was considered a blemish if a girl remained unwed after her teens. The custom still prevails of shaking salt on any youngsters not wed on Shrove Tuesday.(continues on next page)
