School: Newtownbarry (B.) (roll number 3633)
- Location:
- Bunclody, Co. Wexford
- Teacher: Bháitear Ua Giollarnath
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0892, Page 111
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- XML School: Newtownbarry (B.)
- XML Page 111
- XML “Festival Customs”
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- 111Festival Customs.St. Stephen's Day.
Four or five boys gather together and go from house to house singing songs. They hold up a furze bush with a little bunch of feathers to represent a wren in it. This is the song they sing:
"The wren, the wren, the king of all birds,
On St. Stephen's Day he was caught in the furze,
Although he is small his family is great,
Rise up land-lady and give us a treat.
On Christmas morning I burned my thumb,
There rose a lump as big as a plum,
As big as a plum, as big as a cherry,
So give us a penny to make us all merry.
B for bad, W for worse, give us a dollar out of your purse,
Up with the kettle and down with the pan, a penny or twopence to bury the wren,"
Then the woman of the house comes out and gives them a couple of pence.Hallowe'en.
Some boys buy nuts and put them into a bath-pan full of cold water. Then they duck their heads into the water and try to get some nuts in their mouths. This is called "Ducking". Sometimes they hang an apple, dipped in treacle, out of the ceiling. Then the children try to bite the apple without touching it with their hands.(continues on next page)
- Informant
- Felix Kavanangh
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- c. 50
- Address
- Gorteen, Co. Wexford
