Feast Customs
St Bridget's Eve.
We all go out in the Bríghid óg on St Bridget's Eve. We make rag dolls and we bring them with us. We go round from house to house and we knock at the doors and ask the people inside to honour the Biddy. They give us a few pennies then.
Shrove Tuesday.
On Shrove Tuesday all the old people used to go to town to buy ling and jam for lent. On Shrove Tuesday night they used to have potatoes and bacon and cabbage for their supper. From that night until Easter they used not eat any meat.
May day
On May day the old people would not like to see smoke coming from the chimney before the sun rose.They would not give away milk on that day either for fear that they might give away the butter.
WhitSunday
Whit Sunday is supposed to be a kind of wicked day. It is said that the water runs mad three times on that day. Any person or animal born on Whit Sunday is supposed to be sore.
St John's Eve.
On St John's eve all the boys in this village of Prizon, parish of Balla, barony of Carra, Co. Mayo get a horse and cart and a lot of bags and go to everybody's bog and bring a bag of turf out of it. They also get a few big blocks and they bring them to the crossroads. There they light a big fire and they put a bone into it.
“Maisie Reilly, Prison North, Co. Mayo”
