Weddings

Play recording: Weddings

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  • Teideal (Title): Weddings.
  • Uimhir Chatalóige Ollscoil Washington (University of Washington Catalogue Number): 781504.
  • Uimhir Chnuasach Bhéaloideas Éireann (National Folklore of Ireland Number): none.
  • Uimhir Roud (Roud Number): none.
  • Uimhir Laws (Laws Number): none.
  • Uimhir Child (Child Number): none.
  • Cnuasach (Collection): Joe Heaney Collection, University of Washington, Seattle.
  • Teanga na Croímhíre (Core-Item Language): English.
  • Catagóir (Category): Joe’s background.
  • Ainm an té a thug (Name of Informant): Joe Heaney.
  • Ainm an té a thóg (Name of Collector): Esther Warkov.
  • Dáta an taifeadta (Recording Date): 06/03/1978.
  • Suíomh an taifeadta (Recording Location): University of Washington, United States of America.
  • Ocáid an taifeadta (Recording Occasion): lecture/demonstration.
  • Daoine eile a bhí i láthair (Others present): interview.
  • Stádas chóipcheart an taifeadta (Recording copyright status): unavailable.

Weddings were invitation-only. A week before the wedding there would be a party in the bride’s house, with music and singing and dancing and so forth. The wedding night itself would be another great night. And finally, the ‘dragging home’ – a month after the wedding, when the bride was allowed to visit her mother for the first time since her marriage. For a month after the wedding, the bride was forbidden to visit her mother. The music on these occasions would be great – lots of drink, great music, dancing to a melodeon or lilting. Songs connected with weddings would include ‘The Nobleman’s Wedding,’ ‘Grá mo chroí mo chrúiscín,’ ‘An Old Man Came Courting Me’ and ‘Páidín and Brídín.’

Notes

An interesting account of matchmaking and marriage customs is to be found in Hartmann, Hans, Tomás de Bhaldraithe and Ruairí Ó hUiginn (eds.), Airneán: Ein Sammlung von Texten aus Carna, Co. na Gaillimhe, Max Niemeyer Verlag Tübingen (1996), vol 1, lines 5743-5871.

This was recorded while Joe was Artist in Residence at University of Washington.