School: Ballyhaise

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1. Local Marriage Customs (continued)

   

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   clothing or house furniture and the bride gives the best-man some present but not of money either. The groom and bride's friends and neighbours give them presents such as tea sets, pictures or bed clothing. Sometimes after their marriage the married couple go to Dublin or some big city like Dublin on what is called a honey-moon. They take lodgings in the city for a few days or perhaps a week and they go looking at the wonders of the city. There is an old belief that if the bride visits the house in which she was born until she is a month married that it is unlucky. There is another old belief that if the sun shines on the bride the morning she is getting married it is a lucky marriage. There is an old proverb which is:
   Happy is the bride that the sun shines on,
   Happy is the corpse that the rain rains on.
   Match-making is sometimes carried on in my district. Some night as a man who is looking for a lady's hand in marriage goes to some house where there is a young lady whom he think will suit him. He brings another man with him. He also brings some whiskey for it is the custom to give the girl's parents whiskey. The man he brings with him speaks on his behalf and if the girl herself and her parents think that he would be a suitable husband then the day of the marriage and many other things will be arranged. There are certain old beliefs about the days to marry on. Here is an old rhyme:

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. activities
      1. social activities (~7)
         1. rites of passage (~573)
            1. marriage (~4,283)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Philip Baxter

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   14

   Informant

   Joseph Baxter

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   68