Christmas snippets

 

 

On Friday, the 8^th inst., a very successful children’s party was held in Brownstown House, Curragh Camp, where the children from the Athgarvan and Ballysax Schools were entertained to tea. A large staff of willing workers was engaged during the earlier part of the day cutting up bread and cake, and preparing tables for the accommodation of some 300 children. When the little ones arrived at 3 p.m., they found everything ready for them, and each of them was provided with a hot cup of tea and plenty of cake, bread and jam. Opposite each child was placed a bon-bon and the merriment was great when the children commenced pulling these crackers, and decorating themselves with all sorts of coloured paper hats, etc. Tea was finished about 4 p.m., and then the children were kept amused for a considerable time listening to tuneful selections from a splendid gramaphone, kindly lent for the occasion and worked by Mr. Kennedy, of Baronrath. An exhibition of amusing lantern slides also helped to add variety to the entertainment. The children from Athgarvan School went through some physical drill exercises, with dumb bells, in excellent time, and danced some four-handed and eight-handed Irish reels with much grace and precision. A comic song in character by two Athgarvan boys was immensely enjoyed and caused great laughter. About 6 p.m., the children were assembled on the lawn and witnessed a pretty display of fireworks, which lasted about 20 minutes. Amongst those present during the day assisting at the treat were:-Captain and Mrs. Green, Rev. Monsignor Tynan, P.P., Mrs Hutchinson, Mrs Pallin, Mrs Graham, Mr and Mrs T. G. Gordon, Mr and Mrs Weller, Mr Browne, Mr Brennan, Miss Walshe, Miss Ward, Miss Gilbert, etc., etc. As the children were going home they received cake and fruit, and gave three lusty cheers for Mrs Green for having organized such an excellent evening’s enjoyment for them. It should be added that the children were all neatly dressed, and extremely well-conducted.

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The Town Hall, Newbridge, was crowded on Monday and Tuesday evenings, when the Children of Mary treated appreciative audiences to a dramatic performance, preceded each evening by a concert, which in its every individual item was charmingly rendered and rewarded with applause. The entertainment was under the patronage of the Right Rev. Mons Tunan, P.P., and the arrangements were superintended by Fr. Cullen and Fr. Murray.

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The good Nuns deserve much credit for the care and attention which must have been bestowed in the training of the young ladies and in bringing them to that state of perfection which secured the success attending their efforts on both evenings, while providing such pleasant entertainment for the people of the town.

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The concert opened with the chorus, “Hail, Smiling Morn,” after which Miss May showed her close acquaintance with the violin in a well rendered solo. This was followed by a nicely executed duet on the piano by Miss Murphy and Miss Nolan. Miss B. Murphy sang in splendid voice “Asthore,” and received much applause. A most amusing feature was a comic duet, ‘Mr. and Mrs. Naglebone,” by the Misses Margaret and Tessie May, which kept the house throughout in merry mood.

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Some beautifully rendered selections on the violin by Miss Murphy were much appreciated. Miss Babs Kelly gave evidence of a very pretty voice when she sang “Good-night”, Dear Heart,” after which she danced very nicely. In very fine voice Miss Turner recited “The Fireman,” and at its conclusion met with much applause. In a comic duet, Miss B. Murphy and Miss B. Moynihan moved the audience to an almost continuous peal of laughter. The former took the part of the husband, “Zachariah,” and the latter the wife, “Sophia.” The singing throughout, as well as the side play, was very good. Sophia is of the impression that her lord and master spends too much of his time and money at his club, and is constantly requesting the wherewithal to renow her ward-robe, but when she says she is going “to go back to her uncle,” and Zachariah favours the idea, she gets frightened and relents, whey they promise to love each other until “December comes in May.”

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The beautiful words of “Carrigdhoun” were sympathetically rendered by Miss Mulrooney in splendid voice, and were much applauded, after which the Misses Mary and J. Moynihan and Miss K. Conlan acted the parts of “Three Modest Quakeresses,” and the singing was very good and much enjoyed.

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The concert was a decided success, and was enjoyed throughout. Still, if there had been a few additional Irish songs, and perhaps and Irish dance, on the programme, it would have been an attraction. All the members took part in the closing chorus, “In the Dusk of the Twilight,” the different voices blending very nicely in a harmony of which the audience showed their ward appreciation.

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“The Hard-hearted Man” was the play selected, and was staged immediately after the concert. The selection of the representatives for the different parts seemed to have been very carefully made, with the result that the play ran very smoothly in every detail. The character of “Maurice Reddy, the hard-hearted man,” was splendidly pourtrayed by Miss K. Meaney, and her treating of this difficult part was warmly appreciated, and the sarcasm of “Maurice” at the expense of “William Breslin” was much enjoyed. The latter part fell to Miss Turner, who acted Eamon’s son very well, and appeared at her best in the role of the “returned Yank,” Miss Murphy’s “make up” as Eamon was a most natural one, and in voice and movement she did the old man to perfection. The part of Neil Meehan was in very good hands when in those of Miss J. Moynihan, while Miss K. Conlan made a typical housewife when playing as Sheila (Noil’s wife). Miss B. Donnelly as Paddy was very good, and the course of instruction given by him to his two sisters was laughingly enjoyed. The part of Mollie was taken by Miss E. Mulrooney, and that of Peggie by Miss E. Johnson, both of whom showed much brightness as well as knowledge of their parts.

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During the play Miss J. Moynihan san with a very pleasing voice “The Country I’m Leaving Behind,” the refrain being warmly caught up by a large portion of the audience. The play was followed with much interest, the pathos as well as the humour of the different situations being fully appreciated by the large and representative gathering which filled the room each evening.

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In many country districts Christmas would be shorn of half its charm and its memories without the wren boys. On St. Stephen’s Day, when all the members of the household are gathered together by the family heart, and the great festival has just slipped by another mile stone a clatter of feet is heard outside somebody stands up suddenly and cries, “the wren boys” a move is made for the door and there they are, with what is supposed to be the dead body of a wren, encased in a box which is strapped to a stick or “bearer” and decorated with moss and ivy leaves and holly, and carried proudly and triumphantly by the “mourners” who shuffle about for a few moments, clear their throats, and them deliver themselves of the following poetic chant:-

“The wran, the wran, the king of all birds,

St.Stephen’s day he was caught in the furze.

Although he is small, his family is great,

So help us, good lady, to lay him to state.”

And the good lady – the woman of the house –thus eloquently appealed to, seldom fails to respond, and the wren boys depart in high good humour, the happy possessors of another coin or two added to their burial fund.

 

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Apart from the religious observances of February 2^nd, the Feast of the Purification or as it called – Candlemas Day, amongst country folk it is in some parts recognised as a weather indication and curiously enough it is averred that unless bad weather prevail in this day the outlook for the year is bad, and many old weather “saws” (sayings) exists. Thus-

“if it neither rains nor snows on Candlemas Day

You may straddle your horse and go buy hay.”

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The following rhyme is oft quoted in Scotland:-

“If Candlemas Day be dry and fair,

The half o’ winter’s to come, an’ mair

If Candlemas Day be wet an’ foul

The half o’ winter’s gone at Yule.

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Old superstitions die-hard, for at one time Candlemas was the occasion on which all the Xmas decorations in the home were taken down, and it was considered most unlucky were the festive garlands removed before that day. Yet, all should be removed by the end of Candlemas Day.

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The Woodwork Class pupils of Athy Technical School made a number of wooden toys which they presented to the local St. Vincent de Paul Society for distribution to the poor children of the town at Christmas.

 

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