When times were hard, good times were simpler – and whether an occasion was serious or not, wherever people gathered, there was a bit of craic.
Here Charlie McTeague from the Ballinamore area remembers May Day customs and bonefire night.
He also speaks about the pattern at St. Brigid’s Well, cures and rags.
Weddings and Wakes
“The girl got a dowry of money and the boy got a dowry of land if the parents were able to give it.
On the wedding day the bride-to-be and the groom-to-be went to the church on horseback. The neighbouring people went on horseback also.
On their coming home a race was held for which the winner got a bottle of whiskey. He drank a health to the bride when she arrived.
Sometimes the people went to a town and did not come back until night.
On the wedding night a crowd of banbeggars came to the bride’s house. They dressed in straw with straw hats and often if they did not wish to be known they had their faces hidden by old rags.
They got porter from the groom and when they had drunk a health to the bride and groom they took out the bride for a turn,= a dance.
Some of the neighbours played on a flute or a fiddle, and they spent a jolly night in drinking and singing and carousing until the early hours of the morning.
In other cases if a boy took a liking to a girl he would go to the house and bring her away with him to get married. This was called “Cuckock.”
The girl was not allowed home until she had lived with her husband for a month.
Tuesdays and Thursdays were thought unlucky days by the people and nothing could induce a pair to get married on those days.”
Dúchas Schools Collection – Collector – Cáitlín Ní Ghiollariabhaigh
Informant – Mrs McGarry, Drumhass
Charlie McTeague chats about strawboys or”ban-begging” and most interestingly about mumming or “gugging” for eggs at Easter.
Cloone/Mohill’s Willie Higgins also has stories of ban-begging.
Whilst Sonny Moffat (Annaduff) talks about the wakes from years ago.
And Francis Joseph Bohan (Aughavas) also gives us an account of joins, wakes and house-dances.
And Willie Higgins (Cloone/Mohill) gives us an account of the American Wakes
