New-York tribune., 1903-03-23
"GOTNG TO SKELLIG."
4 Curious Irish Marriage Custom
Which ,SurTiUeS.

Which SUrUiUeS.
lis only in the south of Ireland that one ever
hears of Going to skellig." an expression which
is in the mouths Of all the young folk toward
the end of Shrovetide, or, as they call IT,
s'shroye" or "Shra1t,' the great season Tor mar
rfages among the peasantry or Munster anu
Connaught. During this season. Whch las'S
from Christmas till Ash Wednesday, the match-
maker is kept busy, for this functionary IS sun
an important parsonage in the dlsthresSIul
counthrv" where middieman seems to be es-
sential in every transaction. HIS assistance Is
usuallv sought when match has to be made
particularly when. is often the case the coh-
tracing parties are strangers TO each o'her'
The professional matchmaker is generaHy a
man hut sometimes old women adopt the CALI
ing which is a favorite one, and fairly lucra4'e'
as both parties pay for the matchmaker Sci
vices saws a correspondent Of THE London
Globe"
The affair may be arranged in the chapei satu
after mass on Sunday or q holiday IN puOIio
bousa where great deal Of the business Of the
countryside is transacted, OF in the open street
a+ fair or market Marriageable girls are
,,.,,ou,, brought to the fairs by their parents
during Shroye though, a rule, the young
reoDIa have little or nothing to say as 10 the
arraneements which are managed by tnelr re-
spectiye parents and the matchmaker. 0oNe
times the bridegroom to be Is allowed q VOICE III
the matter and intimate friends OF botn paFtles
often give advice, but the girl Is almost III
.-ariably excluded from the discussion anu 10
supposed to be occupied during IT, II she nap
mems to be present, in what is known as PICK
ing the wall" rural etiquette demanding thd'
che shouId stand with her back to the rest or the
marty apparentIy deaf to the conversation anu
absorbed in the interesting occupation OF trying
m detach the loose mortar and stones from
aeiRhboring wall, which probably is not III
yerv high state Of preservation so tnat q coii
siderable amount of rubbish may De Plcheo
,wav by idle fingers while the match Is oiS
.ussed from every point Of view and the young
Iadv's attractions and accomplishments weigheo
against COWS and shSe1' pIt0 anu
.aese and feather beds!
A matchmaking is such an important piece
b,,sinass and those who are not married pe-
.,,ra Ash "Wednesday must walt TIL aIIeF Edo'ei'
$ Lent marriages are forbidden IN the r|olii0A
Catholic Church, it is not surprising that thoSo
iris who have neglected their opportunities ana
,ennain in single blessedness when Lent oeglns'
ire supposed to be very remiss. ACCORDING 10
,roditfon all unmarried young folk are con-
dernned to make a pilgrimage TO eKelhe on
Shroye Tuesday night where they are supposed
10 spend their time climbing up the steep rocks
Of those wavebeat isles. or doing penance from
midnight till dawn by trying to bale out the
waters of the stormy Atlantic 80 at the ap-
proach of Lent, young men end boys pardue
the streets blowing horns, letting OH sQulos
and crackers, and calling to the girls 10 get
ready for Skegi The fun reaches climax on
Shrove Tuesday night, when, in most or the
towns and villages Of Cork, Kerry and IN some
narts of Limerick. the young run about
with ropes which supposed TO he for the
purpose Of dragging the girls to Skellg. Horns
oisilx he
there is often procession Of blazing torches and
tar barrels and in few remote districts burn
ing log is drawn through the streets with ropes.
Formerly any girl who ventureo OUT OF doors on
'SkelIig Night & chance OF being selzec
and harnessed to the blazing log, and sometimes
the youths went far as 10 knock at the doors
and drag out any girl who appeared IN
answer to the summons. A somewhat similar
custom prevailed in Germany on Ash Weones-
day, when young men harnessed the girls 10 q
plough and drove them to pono, Where tney
ducked them wei But Of late the authorities
have done their best to stop the practice OF drag
ging barrels and burning logs through the
streets as accidents frequently occur, either
through peoples clothing taking fire, or through
horses taking fright at the blaze and the noise
Of the horns and bugles
usual. up to about twenty years ago, TO carry a
door at the head Of the torchlght procession
On the door were enthroned two people, gro
tesquely dressed as an old man and woman
who joked. shouted, sang and laoled out tar
from great pot placed in front OF them. from
which the torches were repenished. How they
escaped being burned to death is q mystery
exposed. as they were, to coming in contact
with the flaming torches. as they were borne
unsteadily through the streets-particularly as
the procession took place late In the even
ing, when the pancakes were finished, having
been washed down with plentiful draughts OF
''the crathur," and the torch bearers were
probably more than little excited. Throwing
handfuls Of squibs and -four at the passers-
by, f1inging them in at the open doors, is
still favortte diversion in the south OF Ire
land Shrove Tuesday night, and the dog
gerel rhymes, known 'Skellig Lists, ap-
pear year after year IN spite Of the efforts or
the police to suppress them. In these verses
the names OF unmarried people are coupled
together-often in a vulgar and offensive way
the superstition being that each girl is accom-
panied on her pilgrimage to Skellig by young
man. whom she Will probably marry.
There are various explanations Of this curious
custom. One is that in olden times the parish
priest of the Skelligs refused TO adopt the New
STYLE Calendar, and hence did not begin Lent TIL
nearly a fortnight later than his brethren on the
mainland. that young people wishing to be
married at this time were able to cross to the
Skelligs and have the ceremony performed by
him Another version Of the tradition is that
this took place at a much earlier period, and
that the priest in question adhered to the old
usage of the Celtic Church as to keeping Easter.
rejecting the Roman usage. But probably the
real explanation Of going to SkelliG ts that DUR
ing the Middle Ages these seagirt isles were
much resorted to by pilgrims. especially during