Festivals
St. Stephen's Day
On St. Stephen's Day little boys go around with a wren in a box which they have decorated with coloured papers. At each house they say
Dreoilín, dreoilín rí na n-éan
Is mór é a mhuirín, is beag é féin
Lá le Stiopán, a gabhadh and t-éan,
Da fhógadh sé a cheart beadh sé in-a pígh
Éirigh suas a bhean a tige, nár cradheigh
Dia do chroide, agus tabhair do chuid do'n dreoilín.
English version
Altho' he is little his family is great.
Rise up grand lady and give us a treat.
The people give the little fellows a few coppers or perhaps a small silver coin.
St. Patrick's Day
On St. Patrick's Day long ago Patrick's crosses were made for the children and girls. A piece of paper was cut into a circle. A cross of ribbon was pasted on to it and in between the cross the paper was gaily coloured. These crosses were worn on the shoulder . Men all wore shamrock
Shrove Tuesday
Shrove Tuesday the people in Prison used to make oaten cakes and eat a big meal of meat. We in Turlough always make pan-cakes for tea.
Holy Thursday the old women of the village used to gather together in one house and say the rosary.
Good Friday
Good Friday people used to fast until three o'clock and they spent all their time on their knees praying except when doing any essential work.
Easter Sunday
There was always great eating and drinking. Eggs were always eaten in big numbers at breakfast and tea.
The children used to steal eggs from their parents for the feast in the field on Easter Sunday after dinner.
They then made a fire in the field and cooked and ate the eggs. This was called "pruchóg".
Whit Sunday
Whit Sunday people do not like any living thing to come into the world on Whit-Sunday or during Whit week. They believe it will be sore and poisonous for ever.
May Day
May Morning nobody puts down a fire early, no one makes butter. No one lets a spark of fire out of the house. If you go out on May morning and wash in the dew you wont get sun-burned that year.
St. John's Night
St. John's Night every person in the village gives a load of turf. The young people make a huge fire and put a bone in it. They dance round it until day light and when going home bring a sod and throw it into the crop for luck.
Long ago the old people used to go to the bon-fire and walk round it seven times saying the rosary. They then went home and left the young people to enjoy themselves.
The fire was supposed to be in honour of Our Lord's baptism.
First of August
1st August people who cannot go on a pilgrimage to Knock perform the stations of the cross in Church after Mass.
St. Martin's Night
St. Martin's Night 9th Nov people kill fowl and put a tiny drop of the blood on their Sunday clothes.
St. Michael's
St. Michael's 29th Sept the old women of the village gather together for rosary.
St. Thomas's Day
St. Thomas's Day 22nd Dec just said a prayer in his honour.
Hallow's Eve
HALLOW's EVE usual games of 3 saucers and dallog were played. Clean water -young men dirty water foretold a widower.
Halloween
Ducking for apples- Apple suspended from rafter with coin inserted.
Every girl was blindfolded and each one went into the garden and pulled a head of cabbage and brought it into the house, if it had a crooked leg it meant that that girl would get a husband with a crooked leg. Each girl brought home her own head of cabbage and put it up on the loft. The first man who would visit the house next morning would be the name-sake of her future husband.
Twelve Days of Christmas
The people always liked to have the Xmas provisions in on 22nd Dec. On Xmas eve they used to clean and sweep the chimney and bake bread in the early part of the day. They used to make a big comfortable fire that evening with plenty of bog-deal. At twelve o'clock that night all the villagers gathered to one house for the Rosary.
The windows of the houses were very tiny, but the people used to keep a rush candle lighted in each window on Xmas eve,
Xmas Morn. All the people rose in the dark and went to the 1st Mass. The old people all turned out to late Mass.
Everybody had a goose for dinner which was boiled with a good head of cabbage. There was always plenty of food at Xmas.
The neighbours used to visit in each other's houses all during the festive season. They would have singing and dancing.
New Year's Day. Nobody would spend money on that day.
The first Monday of the new year was called ''Luain na Mban maith'' and every woman would go out doing some work in the garden that day.
Twelfth Night. Twelve rush candles were peeled and dipped in grease and lit through the house, these were kept renewed until twelve o'clock. There was a feast on that night just as on Xmas night. Potato cake loaf-bread and currant cake.
If you have enjoyed reading stories from Prizon school you certainly will not be let down by the stories and content on Dúchas.ie . The folklore was recorded in copybooks written by many people who complied the stories from many locals and sent them on back in the late 1930's. These stories have been translated from the handwriting in the copybooks to make it easier to read. Some mistake may occur due to place names and style of writing. If you find such mistake you can inform Dúchas who will update any errors made.
We hope that you enjoy reading this content and by all mean we highly recommend checking out the website and finding more stories. Who know maybe one of your descendants have writing something back then.
School:
Gleann an Dúin - Prison (roll number 17042)
Location:
Prison East, Co. Mayo
Teacher:
Máire A. Ní Dhocartaigh
DÚCHAS
UCD | FOLKLORE COLLECTION