Marriage Customs

Ballinasloe, Co. Galway

It is considered unlucky to get married in the month of May. In olden times people used to get married before Shrove Tuesday. There is an old rime which tells us the lucky and unlucky days:
“Monday for wealth
Tuesday for health
Wednesday the best day of all
Thursday for losses

Friday for crosses
Saturday no day at all.”

The customs observed were to throw old shoes after the bride and bridegroom. It was considered unlucky to come back from the chapel by the same route taken going there. They always took a longer and different route coming home. It was also considered unlucky for the bride to return to her own house before a month after the wedding. The return home after the month was called “the hauling home”. People generally have an all-night dance after a marriage. Men, who were not invited to the wedding, dressed up in straw and forced their way into the wedding feast. They were known as “straw-boys”. Long ago in Ballinasloe it was a great custom to have match-making on the last day of the fair week in October.

Collector: Unknown

Informant: Mrs D. Maguire, Pollboy, Co. Galway

Place: Ballinasloe, Co. Galway

Footnote: Duchas, http://www.duchas.ie

 

 

 

This page was added on 16/05/2017.

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