School: Carrigaline, Ráth Mhór

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1. Local Customs (continued)

   

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   The wren the wren that you may see
   How neatly dressed in a Holly tree
   And a bunch of ribbons by his side
   And the Lyre men for his guide
   [note in margin: Said in Lyreaoune]

   For two days before St John's night the people used to be gathering furze bushes and put the furze bushes on top of a kiln or on high ground where the whole parish could see it. Then they danced aroung it until it died out.

   Before St. Patrick's day the scholars carried an egg each to the woman teachers. The teacher made crosses for them to wear on St. Patricks day. These crosses were made with a gabhlóg. They were painted green, yellow, and red. The green paint was optained from grass which was ground in the mouth. The yellow paint was got from (the blood of) the yolk of an egg. The red paint was got from the blood of the finger

   The Days of the old Cow were
   the three first days of April when the grass used be growing freshly. Special care was taken of the old cows those days because people believed there were dogs in the bog holes that would draw in the cows.

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Informant

   Mrs Twomey

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Inches, Co. Cork