Wren Boys? Don't make me laugh!

mrsbyrne · 26-12-2014 08:06PM #1

Mams and dads. Plonking Santa hats on your kids , driving them around the estates , having them ring doorbells to mumble two lines of Rudolph the red nosed reindeer , before they stick s bucket under the householders nose, while you sit smoking in the car is nit following the Wren. Its.sending your kids out to beg. At Chistmas. Please stop.

Jawgap · 26-12-2014 08:08PM

Are they not supposed to be singing

The wren, the wren, the king of all birds,
St. Stephen's Day was caught in the furze,
Although he was little his honour was great,
Jump up me lads and give him a treat.

Up with the kettle and down with the pan,
And give us a penny to bury the wren.

If it's done properly, it's a great tradition.

theteal · 26-12-2014 08:12PM

country forum is. . .oh. . .

Uncle Ruckus · 26-12-2014 08:12PM

Rent boys calling around your house looking for money is disgraceful...oh wait I misread the thread!

mrsbyrne · 26-12-2014 08:36PM

Jawgap wrote: »

Are they not supposed to be singing

If it's done properly, it's a great tradition.

They're supposed to be dressed in costume, playing traditional music and holding aloft an effigy of a dead Wren. It's pathetic.

fleet_admiral · 26-12-2014 08:39PM

Is this some bog thing? Us civilised city folk buy our presents for next year today dont u know

Paddy Cow · 26-12-2014 08:40PM

Jawgap wrote: »

Are they not supposed to be singing

If it's done properly, it's a great tradition.

We used to say

The wren, the wren the king of all birds
St Stehpen's day was caught in the furze
Up with the kettle and down with the pan
Will you give me a penny to bury the wren?
If you haven't a penny a hay penny will do
If you haven't a hay penny, God bless you
I chased the wren from rock to rock
I chased him into a public shop
I dipped his nose in a bottle of beer
And I wish you all a Happy New Year.

Jawgap · 26-12-2014 08:41PM

mrsbyrne wrote: »

They're supposed to be dressed in costume, playing traditional music and holding aloft an effigy of a dead Wren. It's pathetic.

Well, at least it's a bit of local colour / tradition (if done properly) - better than the whole Americanisation of the mid-winter we're increasingly having to endure.

Hande hoche! · 26-12-2014 08:47PM

Didn't see any today. Just a bit of road hurling.

Cantremember · 26-12-2014 08:51PM

Just had a scrote wearing a Halloween mask mumbling at the door. Probably scoping the place for the next break in.

KatW4 · 26-12-2014 08:51PM

Had 3 boys come to our house earlier and mutter the rhyme so fast that it was impossible to make out the words! We usually get a few like this every year. I would much prefer if they played/sang something properly!

Tarzana2 · 26-12-2014 09:11PM

mrsbyrne wrote: »

They're supposed to be dressed in costume, playing traditional music and holding aloft an effigy of a dead Wren. It's pathetic.

We did the costumes and trad music. No dead wren though. :-/

Have to agree though, the standard was shocking today, awful.

Jawgap · 26-12-2014 09:14PM

Didn't see any today.

But last year at the in-laws was great craic.

diomed · 26-12-2014 09:21PM

The bird who could fly to the highest altitude would be made king. The eagle outflew all other birds, but he was beaten by a small bird (wren) who had hidden in his plumage.

The Peanut · 26-12-2014 09:26PM

I grew up in South Tipp. It was - and probably still is - a good tradition but it was mainly confined to pubs. The musicians would call to the pubs and provide music and song for 10-15 mins and then move on. Most of the singers were very talented and welcomed in the pubs. It was a great part of the pub atmosphere on the day. Never saw kids calling to houses.

diomed · 26-12-2014 09:26PM

Brazilian footballer Garrincha earned his nickname from one of the names the house wren has in Rio de Janeiro.

Kat97 · 26-12-2014 09:33PM

Aw I used to love going every year with my cousins. Played the tin whistle or sang. It was always great craic and the sweets and money that came with it

Never see it in Dublin. Had a few carolers a few weeks ago but that's it.

Highflyer13 · 26-12-2014 09:39PM

diomed wrote: »

Brazilian footballer Garrincha earned his nickname from one of the names the house wren has in Rio de Janeiro.

Off topic but Garrincha lost his virginity to a goat. Anyway carry on folks.....

mrsbyrne · 26-12-2014 10:19PM

There are still proper Wren boys but the last few years we've got car loads of kids still in they're jammies being dropped in the estate by their parents while they walk around the doors trying to beg the price of the cinema and a Supermacs. Brassknecked chavitis.

TheBody · 26-12-2014 10:22PM

All the kids went on the wren when I was a boy in North Longford. None to be seen these days.

dan185 · 26-12-2014 10:24PM

What the **** is this?

tinkerbell · 26-12-2014 11:12PM

I fckin hate this stupid tradition nowadays. The kids can never play anything and are just begging for money. This year we closed our gates and I thought we'd escaped them but then we had visitors calling in the afternoon and while they were pulling into the driveway two wrens arrived a couple of minutes later, God damn it! :pac:

It used to be so different years ago. They'd be proper wren boys (all dressed up and have a variety of instruments from tin whistles to accordions to spoons etc) - we'd be having the dinner and they'd be invited into the kitchen to play for the whole family, they'd do a few songs and it was great. Of course that was then, times are a lot different now. Now I just give them all the side eye and wonder if they are actually just eyeing up the house, I'm a lot more cynical these days :pac:

anncoates · 26-12-2014 11:21PM

Hold on, you mean there's a tradition that allows you to send your kids around doors collecting money?

Be right back

lanos · 26-12-2014 11:22PM

All I ever observed in pubs on the 26th was traveller kids with blackened faces and rattling off the rhyme in 5 seconds flat and then the hand was thrust out for money. They never got a bob from me.

tinkerbell · 26-12-2014 11:22PM

anncoates wrote: »

Hold on, you mean there's a tradition that allows you to send your kids around doors collecting money?

Be right back

Not if you're in Dublin, unfortunately!!! You'll have to move to the country :pac:

Littlekittylou · 26-12-2014 11:44PM

mrsbyrne wrote: »

They're supposed to be dressed in costume, playing traditional music and holding aloft an effigy of a dead Wren. It's pathetic.

As far as I know most of them do dress up and do play music. It's more like busking now and they go around to pubs.

winnie the schtink · 27-12-2014 01:44AM

a kettle of boiling water sorts them out fairly lively

TheBody · 27-12-2014 01:46AM

winnie the schtink wrote: »

a kettle of boiling water sorts them out fairly lively

Making them tea isn't gonna make them leave!!!

kowloon · 27-12-2014 05:04AM

winnie the schtink wrote: »

a kettle of boiling water sorts them out fairly lively

With plenty of sugar mixed in for added potency.

ballsymchugh · 27-12-2014 05:18AM

are people really saying that this shyte doesn't happen in dublin??

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFXZXJGm6lo

qo2cj1dsne8y4k · 27-12-2014 10:19AM

I only wish they would call to my house so as I could tell them to **** off

Wren Boys? Don't make me laugh!

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