School: Ballyhogue

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1. Festival Customs - Hunting the Wren

   

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   The customs of "hunting the wren" is still carried out in this district. Sometime it is only men and boys and children go to ". They hunt the wren". On St. Stephen's Day the men go to hunt the wren. The boys dress up in all-coloured clothes when they are going to hunt it and they carry a holly bush with coloured ribbons out of it. They bring sticks with them. They go to Garranstackle bogs to hunt it. If they find any wrens they beat them but they do not kill them. When they are done they go home. The rhyme that is said is. "The wren, the wren, the king of all birds, On St Stephen's Day he was caught in the furze." This rhyme is said while hunting is going on.

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   Topics

   1. events
      1. events (by time of year) (~11,476)
         1. Feast of St Stephen (~402)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Peggie O' Brien

   Gender

   Female

   Informant

   Laurence Fitzpatrick

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   20

2. Festival Customs - Hunting the Wren

   

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   Sometimes people go out "hunting the wren" but most of the people who used to "hunt the wren" are dead. Very few people hunt it nowadays because would rather play cards. Most of the people are boys and children. They go on St Stephen's Day at three o' clock in the evening. They all dress in ordinary clothes.
   They bring dogs and salt to throw on the

   (continues on next page)

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

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