Local Games
These are games which we play at home in the village of Fargureens, Parish of Balla, barony of Carra, Co. Mayo.
At first two girls sit on a chair one holding the other. Then one girl comes up to the pair that are sitting on the chair and says; "I am one Lord that came from Spain to court your eldest daughter Jane. One of the girls that is sitting on the chair says, My eldest daughter Jane is too young to be controlled by flattering tongues." Then the person that is standing up says,
Be she young or be she old upon my word she is fit to be sold." Then the person that is sitting down says
"Go back go back the spoons are bright and take the fairest lady in your sight".
They continue like that until all in the ring are brought.
They all gather in a ring round the two that are sitting down and they say Geney Joe Geney joe how is she now? She is blueing clothes, blueing clothes and you can't see her now.
Then they all move back and come in again and say the same.
Each time they come in, the person that is sitting says a different thing.
After saying about the blueing, she then says she is ironing. Afterwards she says that she is putting away the clothes.
Then she says she is ill and had the doctor and the priest and she is dead.
Then a great cry rises and four people take her shoulder high and leave her on the ground as if she is buried. First a girl kneels on the ground and as though starts to blow the fire. Another row of girls joined together stand opposite to her.
The first girl in the row says,
What are you blowing the fire for?
To boil a pot of water.
What do you boil the pot of water for?
To scald the forks and knives.
What do you want the knives for?
To cut the heads off your chickens.
Why do you want to cut the heads off my chickens?
They have the thatch of my house destroyed.
The first one of the row tries to save the rest from their enemy, the girl that is going to kill them. As they are caught their heads are cut off.
“May Adams, Address, Prison, Balla, Co. Mayo”
