The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1882-07-12
IRISH MATCHMAKING.

Nearly every one has heard of Shrove OF
matchmaking time, though few really know
to what extent it is carried on in the South
OF Ireland. A few particulars and some in
stances of the matches for such is the
name that proposed matches 60 by--may
not be uninteresting to those unacquainted
with the custom.
Shrove-time" begins after Christmas,
and ends on Shrove-Tnesday, or the day be-
fore Ash Wednesday, as, during the ensuing
seven weeks of Lent no marriages are cele-
brated in the Roman Catholic Churnb About
three weeks before Lent is the busy time for
the "matehmakers. These are men who
make it their business to find out the for
tunes of and get suitable partners for all the
eligible young people of both sexes for many
miles around. Sometimes they are remun-
Grated for the transaction, but far oftener
they carry it out for mere pastime Thus.
when the well-to-do parents of marriage
BILE son find themselves getting on in years,
and unable to look after their farm and all
connected with it, they tell their boy that he
must .aNe sNwire, ana strnightway send for
their friend, the matchmaker" The old
people in such cases are qur.o vvnuonv 80
give up the farm to the son, seldom asking
anything beyond their support and seat in
the chimney corner in the old home
for the rest of their days
The son who thus obtains possession of a
house and farm is considered wello there
fore the girl he marries must have money
equal, or nearly so, to his, or cattle where
with to stock the land When everything
has been arranged between the parents on
both sides, the day for the marriage is fixed,
and the marriage money made up for the
priest who generally gets from eight to
twelve pounds, though sometimes as much
as fifteen or twenty pounds. The young
people may meet once, or oftener, before
they are married, but sometimes they see
each other for the frat time only at the
altar
Near the village of c. lives man
named Mike s.. He is one of the prin-
cipal matchmakers in the neighborhood. /
know him personally, and have often heard
him speak of some of the matches he
had made, or was about making. The last
few years not having been SO good as usual
for farmers, the weddings were not so many,
and fortunes in most cases were small. One
of the best for this season. and over which
Mike was very busy-was the marriage of a
farmers daughter whose fortune was one
thousand pounds The young man "spoken
of for her had fine house, thirty milking
COWS, twenty yearlings, and Gas fine pair
of horses as ever We're put to a pillow" But
that's not all, said Mike "he has besides
a brand new threshing machinel"
Mike was very indignant over another
match he had made, and was obliged
through " the maneness of the ould people, =
TO break it off again. "They actually" he
said, wanted to make the young people
feed some hens for them; and sure, when
saw them so stingy, says to the girl
Hould yourself higher than to enter that
family.'n And she took his advice.
On another occasion, when the aspiring
bride and bridegroom met for the first time
Mt the altar, the latter, surveying his intend
ed, was shocked to find that she possessed
Ouiy ohO eye. ANiA, nhih NC, VIII
marry no girl unless all her eyes are there. !"
When in the shop of the principal milliner
in the village. this Shroye, asked if she
had many bridal bonnets to make. "No,
indeed" she answered. "There's girl of
the Scanlans getting married to-day; but
made her bonnet two years ago" "How
was that ?" asked s'Well,n she replied,
They were on the way to the chapel, when
they had difference, and the match was
broken off but, like sensible girl she
kept the bonnet, and now it comes in handy
enough" Perhaps one of the most curious
of these extraordinary matches is the fol-
lowing:
There was marriage arranged, and the
friends we're invited to the wedding The
party, amounting to the occupants of some
half-dozen cars and few horsemen, started
for the chapel. just as they stopped outside
of it, the father of another girl came to the
bridegroom and offered him his daughter
with ten pounds more fortune than he was
getting with the one he was promised to-"
" Done" said the ungallant bridegroom,
and straightway broke off the former match,
and married the girl with the most money.
$50 80