The wren, the wren, the king of all birds,
St. Stephen’s Day he was caught in the furze,
So up with the kettle and down with the pan,
Give us a penny to bury the wren
T’was the night after Christmas and all through the house…
As kids, it wasn’t just Christmas Eve we looked forward to. The evening of Christmas Day was one of expectation and preparation. The annual Wren tradition involves participants dressing up in colourful costumes hiding their identity, and calling to homes across the countryside, playing music, singing songs and bringing the tradition of St. Stephen’s Day (26th Dec.) with them for another generation. Families delighted at the visit and the craic, paid a nominal donation for the entertainment. For us, the Wren meant a freezing cold start on our bikes the next morning, but the funds gathered would be worth it.
So Christmas night we began our preparation. The costumes required all sorts of gaudy alterations. Tinsel was being plundered from the tree, balloons were high-jacked to decorate the bikes, newly opened gifts of make-up and styling products were being dished out as the transformations began. Outside, the winter air was just as colourful as punctures were patched, lights were fixed and the bikes were readied for the journey tomorrow.
All the preparation was needed, this was the golden age of the Wren and how fast we could pedal our way around the neighbours and cajole some money out of them had a direct effect on our income. A successful Wren outing could see a positive cash-flow, easily until summer holidays. If you chanced on a house with returned visitors, even the dodgiest rendition of Irish Rover or the flattest tune ever to offend a tin whistle would be lucrative.
The Wren is experiencing a revival in certain parts of the country, particularly in the West. For the most part, larger groups come together to collect money in aid of local charities. Technology plays a part in keeping the tradition going; cars are a much more reliable steed than waiting for the bikes to be fixed. Also, with a full complement of talented musicians, it’s the lucky household now that can play host to impromptu seisuins. Although, the originals are still the best. Here is a clip from RTE’s Come West Along the Road, showing Donncha O’Dulaing’s visit to Kilbaha in 1979 to meet Denis Liddane, the King of the Wrenboys featuring music and set dancing from the best of West Clare’s talent: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WvhPtiarW4.
Written by: Mary
