Wedding Traditions in Oughterard

Transcription of narrative from Schools Collection XIX.

Written by Julia Clancy, Oughterard, c. 1937.

“In Oughterard the custom is to get married the few days before Ash Wednesday especially on Shrove Tuesday. They believe it is lucky to get married that day. It is the custom to get married in the morning in Oughterard but in other places they get married in the evening.

The people make matches before they get married, they give money and stock or what ever they have. It is unlucky to get married in May or on a Saturday or to get married in black, green or red clothes. Blue and white are the lucky colours.

When the marriage day comes the man comes for the girl but he does not go in the same car as her to the chapel. The bride’s mother never goes to the chapel to see them get married.

When they get married they go home and the people light straw before the car to welcome the bride. When she goes into her house a woman must break a cake on her head or ten years of her life will be unlucky.”