(Seo alt ónár bhfoireann nua Gaeltachta.  Is féidir an bunleagan as Gaeilge a léamh anseo.)

THE people of Dingle in west Kerry are more excited about Stephen’s Day than Christmas Day. That’s what Aoife Granville, a folklore expert and member of the Sraid Eoin Wren, admitted to The Journal as this year’s festival approaches.

On St. Stephen’s Day, the king of birds is celebrated with music and dance in a tradition which stretches back for almost 200 years and whose roots go back to pre Christian times in Ireland.

In Dingle, and in several other places around the country, groups of musicians dressed up and wearing masks go from pub to pub playing music and raising money for the Wren’s wake or ball. Some 

According to Granville, who lectures in Folklore at University College Cork, the tradition of the Wren in Dingle as we know it today most likely began around the mid-19th century, at a time when the land wars were escalating in the country.

“It’s been documented as far back as the 1860s so it’s definitely changed since then,” she said.

According to her, celebrating Midwinter is part of the tradition, a celebration that was not only celebrated in Dingle but across Ireland and around the world. That celebration has been going on since pre-Christian times in Ireland.

“When the season was darkest, it was important to have a celebration,” she said.

The various groups in Dingle have been around since then, St. John’s Street – and Granville has played with this group since she was young, Goat Street, The Quay and The Green and Gold.

On Stephen’s Day, when many others are in bed and recovering from the Christmas feast, these groups prepare themselves to go on the Wren, putting on make-up and dressing up, making sure they are not recognised.

First the young people go out on the Dreoilín, their tour starts around 11am. Aoife and her father have been out to several schools recently teaching the children how to make the straw hats and she was really encouraged about the excitement about the Wren she encountered..

In the old days groups of the dreoilín would go from house to house, particularly in Gaeltacht areas such as Múscraí and Corca Dhuibhne, and would end up in the pubs. There would be a few rounds of music and dancing, perhaps a bit of a set, in each house and the presentation in the pub would be longer to give the money collectors time to go around and attract a few Euros from those inside.

A big day for pubs was – and still is – Stephen’s Day as it is the first day after Christmas Day, a day when the pubs are closed as they used to be on Good Friday too, and the pubs should be packed by thirsty patrons on the day.
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According to Granville, the collection that is made is an important part of the tradition. Mar. The English verse reads, ‘The wren, the wren, the king of all birds, St Stephen’s Day was caught in the furze, although he was little, his honour was great, jump up me lads and give us a treat.” And the message is even clearer in the chorus: “Up with the kettle and down with the pan, Give us a penny to bury the wren.”

While the collection continues, only a fraction of the money now goes towards the funeral or ‘ball night’. “Last year €10,000 of the money raised went towards the bus service that takes people with cancer to the hospital in Cork,” Granville said. “A fraction is set aside for a few drinks and a bite to eat for those who went out on the wren and that night is there once a year in the New Year.”

She says it helps people understand that the money is going to the funeral. for local interest and, in the case of the cancer bus to Cork, everyone would know someone who had used the same bus.

The tradition is still alive in Dingle and, perhaps, to a lesser extent in other places such as west and east Limerick, Galway, Leitrim, Armagh and in Wexford too.  It’s even crossed oceans to places like Newfoundland and Philadelphia in the US.

“Wherever traditional music is important,” said Granville. “It helped that we had a marching band tradition in Dingle.”

Over the years, various factors have affected the tradition – the driving and drinking laws are just one example. But there is a new vitality to the tradition now and now there will be hardly a bed to be found in Dingle around Christmas as people flock to town for Wren Day.

It will also be seen on social media as people film the experience – but, at the same time, miss out on a bit because they are filming rather than fully enjoying the experience.

“Sean Mac an tSíthigh will undoubtedly have a piece on Nuacht TG4 and now we can watch that online,” she said. Before they might not have seen it all as it would been broadcast live on TV and they would have been still out on the wren when that happened.