Christmas Mumming in Ireland

crowds of people in the decorated streets to the Western Heights, and the Breden Stone, the site where many of his predecessors have been installed in past centuries.Here the ancient ceremony, the Grand Court of Shepway, was held, and Earl Beauchamp took the oath " to preserve the liberties of the Cinque Ports."After the Court lunch was served in the Town Hall.The fleet in the naval harbour dressed ship, and a salute was fired from Dover Castle.-News of the World, 18th July, 1914.CHRISTMAS MUMMING IN IRELAND.While I was at home in the neighbourhood of Dundalk for a few days' leave in December last the house was visited one evening by a party of 'small boys mumming.We saw them play, and copied down the rhymes which follow.I consulted our gardener, an elderly Meath man, who has often supplied me with scraps of folklore, and found that he had no experience of Christmas mummers, but he interested himself in the subject and took down a version of the play from one Matthews, a labourer who works under him.Matthews, who is about forty years of age and a Louth man, says that when he was a " chap" (i.e. about fifteen) the ballad singers used to hawk broadsheets of mumming rhymes at Christmas time.He was rather vague about the whole thing, perhaps because he was shy with me.I have not been able to make as full enquiries as I should like, but it seems worth noting that small as the County Louth is Christmas mumming seems to be unknown in Ardee and Carlingford (Matthews comes from Braganstown near Castle Bellingham).The boys, who have disappeared from my ken, said something about a schoolmaster, so that possibly their version may have a literary origin.So may Matthews's for that matter.Perhaps (a) is mainly Patrick Kennedy's County Wicklow play, 1 and (t) a blend of Kennedy and some English version.Matthews seemed to have no idea about dress, but most of the boys wore pointed masks and more or less distinctive costumes.1 Dublin University Magaxine, 1863, page 584.V 1 1 can make nothing of this name, and am inclined to think it merely a. corruption of "room I room I" though "rhu" may be raw/, "red."I was in hell, I was kicked out, Fried in a pot of stirabout And money we want, and money we crave, And if we don't get money we'll sweep yees all to the grave.(6) MATTHEWS' S VERSION. Room, room, gallant boys, Give us room to rhyme.We'll show you some activity Coming on to Christmas time.Active young and active age, Such activity was never acted on a stage.And if you don't believe me And give in to what I say, Enter in Prince George And he'll show you play.Prince George.Here come I, Prince George, From England I have sprung, Some of those noble deeds and valour to begin, And the same I will avow, And if we don't get cash this night We'll raise a blooming row.English rights and Ireland a nation.Here I draw my shining weapon.Show me the man

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