Marriages
18 May 1938
A week before the marriage took place the match was made. The two parties met at some house. They agreed for a certain sum of money. About £50 was a good fortune that time. Then a day was appointed for the marriage.
The bride got a chest of linen from her mother and a cow was given with the fortune. The day of the marriage they went on horseback to the church. The bride riding behind her father and coming home she sat behind her husband.
When they came home they had a feast and a wedding. They invited the people of the village and had a big supper and dancing and singing until morning. A crowd of boys of the village who were not invited to the party dressed themselves with old clothes and a high straw hat and tied straw ropes round their trousers at their knees went to the house and went in and danced with the bride and sung songs. The man of the house gave them porter or whiskey and they went home.
The marriage would not be lucky if something was not broken. They broke a cup or a class. There was only one ring in a village only a rich man could buy a ring. They often had to borrow the ring.
“INFORMANT: John Kelly, Address, Prison North, Co. Mayo”