School: Borris (C.)
- Location:
- Borris, Co. Carlow
- Teacher: Bean Uí Loinneáin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0904, Page 481
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- (continued from previous page)On St Stephen's Day a crowd of boys dressed in odd-looking garments and gaily decorated with coloured paper go from house to house carrying a bush in which a wren is nesting or is supposed to be nesting and at each door they sing
"The wren, the wren, the King of all birds;
St Stephen's Day it was caught in the furze;
Although it be little, its honour is great,
Stand up kind Sir and give us a trate.
Up with the kettle and down with the pan
Give us our answer and let us be gone"
The friendly householders drop coins into the box carried by one of the boys and at the end of the day the wren boys share the money.
On all Souls' night candles are left burning in our windows to guide the Holy Souls who, on that night, are supposed to re-visit their earthly homes.
On Shrove Tuesday pancakes are made and eaten.
On Easter Saturday the boys' and girls from the village visit farmers' houses, where they(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Mollie King
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Borris, Co. Carlow
