School: The Vale (An Gleann)
- Location:
- Leiter, Co. Cavan
- Teacher: S. Ó Brolcháin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1010, Page 429
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- XML “Bonfires”
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- Bonfires were common about thirty years ago and they are not completely a thing of the past yet. The chief cause of the decay of bonfires is due in part to the lack of firewood and another cause is the decrease in the population of youngsters. In olden times there was a bonfire on every hill but in parts of the locality there was a special bonfire and young men and some old people too walked a considerable distance to one of these given out (?) bonfires. There used to be fiddlers and all kinds of musicians present at the bonfires, tambouring and fives. Young girls were there by the score and if the night was good and dry they sang and danced unti the small hours of the morning and this custom was continued from the time of St. Patrick. When he came to convert the Irish people they had their great bonfires especially the great fire they had to memory of Baal, then chief God. Young men frequented these bonfires which were(continues on next page)
