School: Clonlisk
- Location:
- Clonlisk, Co. Offaly
- Teacher: Micheál Ó Heochaidh
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0819, Page 254
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- XML “Festival Customs”
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- Many festival customs are carried on around this locality. On Saint Stephens Day boys and girls dress up in funny clothes and go from door to door singing the Wren Boys song. The actual words used in this song are - the Wren the Wren king of all birds Saint Stephens day he was caught in the furze although he was little his family was great so rise up my lady and give us a treat. Another song is The Wren the Wren [?] up with the kettle and down with the pan give us a penny to bury the Wren.They sing these songs when approaching the door. Then they play tunes on different instruments and dance and sing. They get money in every house and they keep this to go to dances on Stephens night. Sometimes the big wrenboys attack the younger ones and take all their money. At Easter many customs are also carried on. One of the oldest of these customs is to eat as many eggs as you are able on Easter Sunday morning. Children hang up their stockings for their parents to put Easter eggs in them. On Saint Patricks day people wear shamrock which they find growing in Irish pastures. They also send shamrocks to their friends in foreign(continues on next page)
