Browne — Ethnography of Ballycroy, Co. Mayo. 99 



are taken occasionally ; periwinkles are gathered in large quantities on 

 the sea-shore, and large lobsters are sometimes found among the 

 crevices in the rocks. About forty men are employed netting salmon in 

 the chief river of the district. There is not much regular employment 

 for labourers, for whom the average rate of pay is about 9s. a-week. 

 Tradesmen are few ; there are four hand-loom weavers, and two 

 blacksmiths. During the winter months there is little work of any 

 sort done. 



Like the Mullet district, Ballycroy exports very large quantities 

 of eggs, most of which are sent to "Westport and thence to the English 

 market. Eggs are said to be occasionally used for barter. The 

 women, besides the ordinary domestic duties, carding, spinning, &c., 

 take part in all field labour with the men, and gather sea-weed for 

 manure ; the only kind of outdoor work they do not engage in is 

 cutting turf, which is the main fuel of the district. Some of the turf 

 is exported to Inishkea and the lower extremity of the Mullet. 



2. Family Life and Customs. — The family life of the people of 

 Ballycroy is on the whole very similar to that of the people of the 

 other parts of Erris and of the natives of Inishbofin, and so need not 

 be described at any length, the reader being referred for details to 

 the previous report. 



The children of a family are sent to school young, if at all, but 

 their attendance is stated to be rather irregular, owing to the long 

 distances the children have to go and the wild nature of the country. 

 They leave school young, and then enter into the ordinary work of the 

 family. 



The people do not as a rule marry as early as those of some other 

 parts of the country, many girls not getting married until 25 years of 

 age. Business and family interests have usually more to do with the 

 matches than romantic attachment, the matter being arranged as a 

 rule by the parents beforehand. After all has been settled, the young 

 man goes, taking with him a spokesman to explain his errand, and a 

 bottle or two of whiskey, and the girl's consent is asked ; if this be 

 given, the parents then arrange about the dowry, and at this stage 

 the match may be broken off if satisfactory terms be not arrived at. 

 A calf or a pig may be the cause of upsetting the arrangement. 

 Weddings are occasions of great feasting and merriment, and usually 

 are concluded by a dance. Straw boys {clommeraglis) go round to 

 these dances as described in the report on the Mullet. It is not 

 considered etiquette in Ballycroy that these strawboys should take any 

 drink at a wedding. The taking of the bride to her husband's house 



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