School: Cluain Mór (1), Baile an Droichid

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1. Wake Games (continued)

   

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   2) "Hiving the Bees" was another game. It consisted of getting some person that was ignorant of the game if they had a bad temper so much the better. He was to act as drone or queen bee and sit there waiting for the honey. Then a lot of youths was sent out to gether the honey. They would all come back buzzing like bees with their mouths full of water. They would buzz all around the drone and then let off all the squarts of water upon him.

   3) "Trial by jury". A judge was appointed and a jury was picked out to try the prisoner. This game was a good means of putting an end to sports at wakes. A young man was tried at a wake by such a judge and jury, and the jury found him guilty so the judge sentenced him to be hanged so they put a rope round his neck and tied it to the rafters of the house but put him standing on a stool. Some mischievous fellow hit the stool a kick and with the jerk he got his neck was broke and them all had to stand their own trial then. A lot of barbarous things was exposed at the trial, so that the clergy and respectable people cried it down

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. activities
      1. social activities (~7)
         1. entertainments and recreational activities (~5,933)
            1. games
               1. wake games (~170)
         2. rites of passage (~573)
            1. death (~1,076)

   Language

   English

   Informant

   James Byrne

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   70

   Occupation

   Farmer

   Address

   Gowle, Co. Wicklow