Old Local Tradition and Custom

Dragging

Emma Laffey

Ballaghnagrosheen Menlough 1950s

Courtesy of Bridie Scanlon

Martin Costello, Thomas Donohoe, Michael Costello

Courtesy of Bridie Scanlon

Dragging

This image was taken at Ballaghnagrosheen, Menlough 1950s for a local Mulry family wedding. This was an old Irish tradition to welcome honeymooners as they returned home. The local villagers would soak sods turf in paraffin oil for a day, place it on a pitch fork ”known as wisps”, light it up and walk in front of the honeymooners, who followed on horse and cart, to ward of bad spirits and bring good health and fortune to the newlywed couple.

Fires were also lit along the route to their new home and candles were lit in jars along the walls. This tradition of fire lighting is still done today for celebrations in our local area and we are very lucky to have what is possibly the only image’s of this old tradition courtesy of Bridie Scanlon Ballaghnagrosheen Menlough.