School: Mullingar (Pres. Convent) (roll number 934)
- Location:
- Mullingar, Co. Westmeath
- Teacher: Sr. Brigid
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- players sat on a plank seat erect under a hedge and played together and in turn while the people danced. "Single turns" were danced on boards thrown on the road. (The barn door was often used for this purpose)Competitions in jigs and hornpipes were quite common. For refreshment men drank poteen and the women milk (?) with oaten cakes.Girls wore shawls and red petticoats. Milk was drunken from noggins.
HANDSEL MONDAY (1st Mon in Feb.)No one liked to pay out money on Hansel Monday, because if he did it was believed that he would always be in want o money during the year. Every (one) wished to get money on that day - reason obvious.
WHIT MONDAYNo one would dream of going to swim on that day. It was the belief he would be drowned.
CANDLEMAS DAYThe candles blessed on that day were kept and lighted for protection during thunderstorm, or wind.
MARCH 1stCrows begin to build their nests - but if that date occurs on Sunday, they do not begin until Monday.
ST STEPHEN'S DAYA wren was caught and killed and carried in a bush by "straw-boys" who went from house to house. They collected money - usually spent that night on drink.A Rann was said at every house:-The wren, the wren, the King of all birds
St. Stephen's day was caught in the furze
Tho' she was little her family is great
Rise up lads and lasses and give us a "trate"
Up with the kettle, Down with the pan
A penny or two-pence to bury the "ran"(Wren killed because it was supposed to have discovered St. Stephen's hiding place to soldiers)- Collector
- Cora Donnelly
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Mullingar, Co. Westmeath
- Collector
- Rita Gillick
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Mullingar, Co. Westmeath
- Informant
- Mrs Donnelly
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Mullingar, Co. Westmeath
- Informant
- Mrs Gillick
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Mullingar, Co. Westmeath