1889.] 4:Ld [Mooney. 



expect a small reward at each house, and In this they ar seldom disap- 

 pointed. 



In the Gentleman's Magazine for 1824 we find an interesting description 

 of a company of mummers, who had ventured to cross over to the vicinity 

 of Dublin from their nativ parish on the other side of the bay. They 

 seem to hav created as much alarm among the ruling powers as an army 

 with banners, and the account furnishes an apt illustration of the com- 

 bination of police surveillance and ponderous magisterial acumen that has 

 so long prevaild in the Green Isle. 



" They consisted of fifteen young men grotesquely attired in ribands, 

 white shirts outside their clothes, papers and rosettes in their hats, and 

 large sashes round their waists, and one was dressed in woman's clothes : 

 two of tliem carried swords of a very ancient appearance ; the remainder 

 had sticks. Being noticed by the police landing from a boat, Peace-officer 

 Sharpley proceeded to interrogate them ; and considering it necessary to 

 prevent such a formidable body from perambulating the district, imme- 

 diately despatched a messenger to Mr. Goodison of the College Street 

 office, who directed Peace-officer Campain and his party to proceed to 

 Williamstown, when they took the whole number into custody as suspi- 

 cious characters going through the country disguised. They were brought 

 before Mr. Alderman Fleming and Sir Garret Neville, when one of them, 

 Michael Darley, who stated himself to be the king of the party, said, that 

 they came from Raheny, and that they had been out on the Christmas 

 gambols since St. Stephen's day ; that hearing there were a number of 

 gentlemen's seals at the side of the water, he and his subjects undertook 

 a voyage across the bay, to visit the shore of Williamstown and its vicinity. 

 On being asked by Sir Garrett Neville where they got the swords, he said 

 Ihey got one from a man of the name of Neill, gardener to Mr. Joy, and 

 the other from a person at Raheny, and that their intentions were entirely 

 harmless ; they assembled for the purpose of getting Christmas boxes, ac- 

 cording to an ancient custom (in his dominions) at the other side of the 

 water ; and that the king and Hector (one of his guards) were always 

 armed with swords. To a question by the magistrates, he said he was an 

 historian, and his fool was treasurer, and carried a bladder fixed to a long 

 pole ; the party spent whatever they got in drinking, dancing and other 

 amusements. They got money from Dean Ponsonby, Dean Gore, and 

 many other gentlemen, 'His majesty' referred to Counsellor Casey for 

 a character. The magistrates, after a severe admonition, had them de- 

 tained for further examination." * 



In Connemara the people "draw blood" on Christmas as on Saint 

 Martin's day. The animal is kild the day before, but is not previously 

 "named "as is the case when dedicated to the saint. So deeply rooted is 

 this custom that poor people eagerly buy Irom the farmers old sheep 

 which ar almost worthless, in order to kil them for this occasion, and 



* Writer in Pop. Sup. . 96, 97. 



