Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 5, 1894.djvu/201

 Furthe}' Notes from County Lcitrim.^ 193

danced until they were tired. One of the boys then took the cake and handed it to his sweetheart, and led her away to the house, followed by all his and her friends. When they arrived inside the house, the girl cut a heart-shaped piece out of the centre of the cake and gave it to the boy, and the remainder she cut into pieces, and gave a bit to each of the company. After this drinking began, and was kept up until early morning, as much as fifteen gallons of whiskey being sometimes sold.

\st Alay. — The old practices of this day are disappearing. Formerly no one would willingly be the first to light a fire, and many an anxious look round at the neighbours' houses was given to see if smoke was rising before the careful woman of the house would bring herself to kindle a blaze. On the other hand, no one w^ould give fire on this day, not even to light a pipe, so that it behoved everyone to have the means of lighting one ready to hand. It was also con- sidered very unlucky to throw out water or ash on May Day, to do so would have been to throw away the luck of the house for the year, and would especially result in a loss of butter on the milk.

These customs are still adhered to by the older people.

On May- morning the children scatter May-flowers (marsh-mallow), gathered on May-eve, before the door of their house.

The days on which rent falls due are known as Gale Days. There are two in each year, usually ist May and 1st November, but sometimes 25th March and 29th September.

2'^rdjune, St.Johis Eve {Bonfire Day). — Fires are lighted after dusk on the hills and along the sides of the roads.

Garland Sunday [last Sunday in July). — Flowers used to be placed round wells on this day, hence its name; but the custom is falling into disuse. An adjournment to the nearest inn is apparently taking its place.

Harvest. — A little oats are grown, but the chief harvest is that of the hay, and those who have much to save are

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