| Citation |
BG.749.038
24 Oct 1749:11 (1546)
Belfast, August 4. We are advised from Ballynaskreen, a
mountainous part of the country of Londonderry, of a wedding
celebrated there in a very extraordinary manner, on Thursday
sev'night; the whole was conducted according to the antient
[ ] custom; and was as follows: The night preceding the
priest's joining hands, the design'd bride and bridegroom,
in way of trist of [ ]iking, were, with much ceremony, put
naked to bed together, accompanied by the bride's maid who
lay in the middle to protect her mistress: And next day the
nuptial vows were entered into; after which succeeded the
assembling of about two hundred of the neighbours of both
sexes, and all ages, to partake of an entertainment provided
for the occasion, which consisted of thirty-eight fat
muttons, dres'd in various ways; about one hundred and fifty
stroans of oat bread, fifty gallons of right good
usquebaugh, and about five hundred weight of fresh butter,
together with bunnyrammer in abundance.
After the feast the company parcelled themselves out in
small bodies, and each forming a ring on the green, merrily
danced and sung in the old Irish taste, to a number of
pipers and fiddlers, without being incommoded by the
weather, 'tho it rained excessively; but put about the
madder of whisky between every song; nor did the company
separate, till the greatest part with drinking, dancing and
singing being quite tired out, lay down promiscuously and
fell asleep.
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