The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-04-03
..GOING TO KELLIG."
A Curious Irish Marriage Custom
which Survives.

SkeIIfg.' an expression which is in
the mouths of all young folk toward
the end of ~Shrovetide, or, as they call
il "Shrove'' or "Shraft," the great
season for marriages among the peas
antry of Munster and COnnaught.
During this season which lasts from
Christmas till Ash Wednesday, the
matchmaker is kept busy for this
fu~nctiOnary is still an important per-
sonage in the dfsthTessful counthry,"
where a middleman seems to be es-
sentiaI IN every transaction. His as
sistance is usually sought whe a
match has to pc mada-particu,ar;y
when. as is often the case. the cotract-
ing ratties are strangers to each 9th
er The professional matchmaker is
generally a man, < sometimes cd
women aCopt the cairRs which : 4
favOri-e one, and fairly lucrative, IS
both Jarties pay fO- the m~atch-nllk-
er's s-rTices. say u correspondent CT
''Tha L.nndcl { "tc'
The afIaIr may b. .,!I#Lged in tie
chapel ward aft"r ..Iss OF Sunday or
n holiday, IN Il EUl' c h"U"e. where 4
great deal Of the business of the cOul-
tTyside Is transacted, or in the open
street.. At ItlI VI IllGI htI- -SIdrlldeao-
bic Urls are usually brought to tbs
fairs " their parents during Srrcvc.
though. g q rule, ;he young people
LaT" little or nothing to say as to the
ar~rangements. which are managed ly
their respective parents II the raatrn-
maker Sometimes the bridegroom TO
bc is allowed q voice in the matter
intimate friends of both parties often
give advice, but the girl is almost in
v7rtaE.y excluded from the discussion.
D IS supposed To be occupied during
i. r she happens to be present. in
"E-f is known as picking the wall"
rural etiquette demanding that she
should stand with her back to the
rest of the party, apparently deaf to
the conversation and absorbed in The
mt resting occupation of trying to
Getach the loose mortar and stones
from a ~neighbOring wall. which rrc3-
ably g not in u very high state 1r
preservation. 50 that a considerable
amount of rubbish may be picked
away by Idle fingers while the match
i. discussed from every point of view.
and the young lady's attractions and
accomplishments weighed against COWS
and sheep. pigs and 'bonnams.'
geese and feather beds,
AS matchmaking Is such an i'm
I"rtauJ piece of business. and those
who are not married be ore Ash :Tai-
neSIgy must wait till ter Easter. AZ
Lent marriages are f Ridden Ill the
Roman Catholic Chur, I, it is not sur
pTi~inE that girls " } have neglect
ed their OppOrtunitiC and remain Ill
single bleSSedneSS ' len Len baGfHS,
are supposed to be very remiss. Ac-
cordiug to tradits n. all unmarried
young folk are 90 demned to make d
pilgrimage to IeIliS on ShrJg-
Tuesday night, lere they are sup
posed to spend cir time climbing up
the steep rocks those WaVebeat isles
OF doing PEN e from midnight till
dawn by tryir~ to bale out the waters
Of the storm atlantic. So al the ap-
preach of l young men n boys
parade the reefs. blowing horns. let
ting off snr : and crackers. and call
ing to the :" : 10 get ready for Sk-IIi@,
The fun = rchaS a climax OH ShTOve
Tuesday -gEt, when, in most of the
towns an viIlages of Cork. Kerry.
n in some parts of Limeri@&.
the YOU men run about with ropes
which : - supposed to be for the pJr-
pose O" dragging the girls to Skellig.
Horns are blown nOisily. the town
band comes out, and there IS often
a procession of blazing torches and
tar Iarrels. and in a few remote dis
triCtS q burning log is drawn through
the streets with ropes. Formerly anV
girl who ventured out Of doors on
"Skellig Night ran 4 chance of being
seized and harnessed to the blazing
log. and sometimes the youths went so
far rs to knock at the doors n .lrag
out any girl who appeared in answer
to the summon \ somewhat similar
custom prevailed i'll Germany on ASH
Wednesday. when young men harness
ed the girls to Il plough and drove
them to a pond. where they tucked
them we'll. But of late the authorities
have done their best to stop the prac-
tice of dragging tar barrels and barn
ing logs through the streets. as acct
dents frequently occur. either through
peoples clothing taking fire. or through
horses taking fright at the blaze and
the noise of the horns and bugles.
In some of the towns in West Cox,
1t was usual. up to . twenty years
ago to carry n dOOr at the head of
the tOEchlight procession. On the
door were eUJhrOned two people. gro
teSquely dressed as an old man AMI
ladIed out tar from u great pot placed
In front of them. from which the torch
eS were ~replenished- How they es-
capped being burned to death is q mys-
tery-eNpOsed as they We're. to CON-
ing in contact with the flaming torch
IS. as they were borne unstcadily
through the Observation-Disclosures rs the
procession took place late in the cen
ing. when the pancakes were finished.
having been aSh down with pieI.-
tiful drduShtS of the crathur." anu
the torch bearers were probably more
than a little excited. Throwing hand
fuls of squibs and -four st the pass
ersby. or finging them in at the open
doors. IS still a favOrite diversion in
the south of Ireland on ShrOve Tues
day night. and the dOggerel rhymes.
known as 'Skellis Lists" appear year
after year in spite of the efforts .: the
police to suppress them. In these
verses the names of unmarried peO-
pie are coupled together-ofJen III L
vulgar and offensive way-the super
stiUiun being thai each girl is accom-
panied on her pilgrimage to Skel'ig
by q young man. whom she VII prob
ably marry.
There are various explanations of
this curious custom. One is that III
ulden times the parish priest OF the