School: Doire na Groighe (B.), An Bhán-tír (roll number 7450)
- Location:
- Dernagree, Co. Cork
- Teacher: Seán Ó Caisil
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0359, Page 224
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- (continued from previous page)the household, the mother lights the one for the absent and the father lights the one for the dead. Then all kneel in prayer for the living and the dead. The father gives out these prayers. It is said to be unlucky if the candle does not light up and there is fear in the household if the light goes out. The candle for the living is placed in the kitchen window which is unshuttered and the other candles are also placed in the unshuttered windows. Some people still leave their doors unlatched on that night so that any person requiring food and shelter may push it open. Those candles burn through the night. A great supper is prepared and nowadays it is over for midnight as all members of the family are receiving Holy Communion on Christmas Day. But in olden times the supper was begun at midnight. It is not right to visit a neighbours house on that night--each house enjoys the privacy of its own family. Stories are told by the father of times long passed. Supper was first of boiled rice-punch then beef roasted or boiled and puddings.
During the shrove there was great excitement in the making and breaking of matches. There was usually a match maker in every district who sent "an account of a match" to a father. The near friends of the pair usually met in(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Dan Buckley
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Keale North, Co. Cork
