School: Kingscourt (B.)
- Location:
- Kingscourt, Co. Cavan
- Teacher: Ml. Breathnach
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1008, Page 025
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- XML School: Kingscourt (B.)
- XML Page 025
- XML “Saint Stephen's Day”
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- The fest of Saint Stephen is celebrated on the 26th of December each year. On that day in this district large numbers of boys kill a wren and go from door to door begging to bury it. They dress up very gaily, in old clothes and false faces, and play music and cause a great deal of amusement. They sing this song about the wren.
"The wren, the wren, the king of the birds;
On Saint Stephen's day she was caught in the furze;
Up with the kettle and down with the pan,
Give us a penny to bury the wren"
Some people do not eat meat on Saint Stephan's day, as they believe there would be no sickness during the year if they fasted from flesh meat.
