School: Cluainteach (C.), Newtownforbes
- Location:
- Cloontagh, Co. Longford
- Teacher: Bean Mhic Garaidh
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0756, Page 238
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- Hallow E'en was observed with much fun and joviality some years ago. The pranks connected with Hallow E'en will soon be extinct. Some of the pranks played were coarse, even though there was fun attached to them.
In this locality a favourite trick with the young lads was to go to any garden where there were good heads of cabbage. They did not ask for the cabbage from the owner, but they cut it without permission, and carried away the heads - of course the biggest ones. They went around from house to house in crowds. Every door they passed received a blow from a head. No one opened a door, and no one spoke against them as it was Hallow E'en. They did the same with the turnips. They pulled the turnips in the turnip fields, and then made their visits to the doors - each door receiving a bang. It would be no joke to receive a blow from a turnip, so the people made sure to keep the doors closely bolted until the visitors were gone.
