250 D E R R Y. 



education. Weddings are always celebrated 

 with much dancing ; and a Sunday rarely 

 pafles without a dance ; there are very few 

 among them who will not, after a hard day's 

 work, gladly walk feven miles to have a dance. 

 John is not fo lively, but then a hard day's 

 work with him is certainly a different affair 

 from what it is with Paddy. Other branches 

 of education are likewife much attended to, 

 every child of the pooreft family learning to 

 read, write, and carl accounts. 



There is a very ancient cuftom here, for a 

 number of country neighbours among the 

 poor people, to fix upon iome young woman 

 that ought, as they think, to be married ; they 

 alfo agree upon a young fellow as a proper 

 hulband for her ; this determined, they fend 

 to the fair one's cabbin to inform her, that on 

 the Sunday following /fe is to be horfed, that is 

 carried on men's backs. She muft then pro- 

 vide whifky and cyder for a treat, as all will 

 pay her a vifit after mafs for a hurling match. 

 As foon as fhe is horfed, the hurling begins, 

 in which the young fellow appointed for her 

 hufband, has the eyes of all the company fixed 

 on him ; if he comes off conqueror, he is cer- 

 tainly married to the girl, but if another is vic- 

 torious, he as certainly lofes her, for fhe is 

 the prize of the victor. Thefe trials are not 

 always finifhed in one Sunday, they take fome- 

 times two or three, and the common exprefli- 

 on when they are over is, th&tjuch a girl 'was 

 goafd. Sometimes one barony hurls againft 



another, 



