School: Ballycumber (C.)
- Location:
- Ballycumber, Co. Offaly
- Teacher: Mrs Fenelon
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0810, Page 311
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- XML School: Ballycumber (C.)
- XML Page 311
- XML “Marriage Customs”
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- Long agao the people used to make matches for their sons and daughters. Sometimes the couple to be married might never have seen each other before. The men looking for a wife visited the house of the girl and brought some friend with him and they used generally bring a bottle of whiskey. When they had talked for a while he used to ask how much money and goods the girl possessed. If he was not satisfied with her amount the whole thing would be broken up.
In some places this custom is still carried out but it has nearly died out now. Once a man was going to be married and everything was settled and he was to have a certain number of cattle but when he was coming out of the house he saw a harrow lying by the wall and he asked the man to give it to him. But he would not give it. When the other man heard this he refused to marry the girl and went on his way.
They used to travel on sidecars or on foot to the church. Then they came home they used to go for a drive. After they had a dance and party and then the man brought home the bride and this was(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Margaret Guinan
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Ballycumber, Co. Offaly
- Informant
- Michael Guinan
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 50
- Address
- Ballycumber, Co. Offaly
