THIS EVENT took place during a Full moon, as near the Christmas period as possible. A number of young and old alike would get together and plan a night out for the Mummers. They would go round the locality visiting every house and the money they would collect was equally divided between all participants and spent in whatever way each person chose. It wasn't for the money, it was for the fun - and was it Fun!

Our night out was organised around the middle to the end of the third week in December, when there was a full moon. At that time there was no electric light and all around was quite dark, - remember that the light in the family home was by a candle or an oil lamp, and there was no street light either. This was around 1948, and I was around thirteen years old at that time. We appointed a meeting place as a starting point and we met at around six o'clock in the evening, we had no specific way planned out, we would always go round in a kind of a circle to avoid back tracking, therefore saving time, but a mammoth night was had by all.

There were thirteen people in our group, that included four musicians, - three singers and one who played a Melodeon, the four were brothers and a treat to hear them play and sing - it was indeed these four young people that made our night such a success. That night we walked about fourteen miles all told.

And we didn't get back to our starting point until 4 a.m. and the only food we got was what we pinched in what ever house we got it and the only food was scone bread or a tin can of sweet milk - of which we had no hesitation in taking and running like wind with it. The amount of money that we collected for the whole night was one shilling and nine pence (old currency), about eight pence in today's currency, for each person. What a way to spend a night out - it was terrific.

HERE IS THE LIST OF THE THIRTEEN PEOPLE WHO TOOK PART THAT NIGHT IN DECEMBER 1948;

NAME
ACTING NAME
McCrea Blair Room Room
Edwin Blair Prince Patrick
William Kee Prince George
Tommy Kee Jack Straw
Phonsie Temple Wee Doctor Brown
John Temple Beelzebub
George Lucas Wee Devil Doubt
Ivan Knox The Wee Wran
Brian Lafferty Fiddley Funny
MUSICIANS
On the Melodeon: Jerry Callan
Singers: James Callan, Phonsie Callan, Willie Callan

 
The 'Mummers' is a kind of Home Theatre in various acts performed by local people for Christmas entertainment. The type of dress worn on the occasion was in keeping with the Christmas custom of that time. It was up to each person to organise their own dress, head gear and false faces and try to look something like the part they were playing. The act begins when the group leader approaches the house and knocks loudly on the door and without waiting to be invited, storms in and with a loud voice says "Mummers" and then performs his entrance act.

ENTER MCCREA BLAIR SAYING:
"Room, room, the gallant boys, give us room to rhyme
We'll show you some activity around the Christmas time.
Active young, active age, the active's always on the stage.
If you don't believe me what I say, enter in Prince Patrick
And he'll soon clear the way."

EDWIN BLAIR AS PRINCE PATRICK ENTERS SAYING:
"Here comes I, Prince Patrick from merry England I have sprung
I have conquered many Nations since this war begun.
I fought Samson, Samson fought me, Samson thought he was a man
But he wasn't the man o' me.
Where is the man who dare me stand;"

A VOICE SPEAKS UP SAYING:
 "Here I am"

PRINCE PATRICK ASKS:
 "Who are you?"

WILLIAM KEE ENTERS AS PRINCE GEORGE SAYING:
 "I'm Prince George Sir"

PRINCE PATRICK SAYS:
 "Pull out your Sword and try me Sir"

PRINCE GEORGE SAYS:
 "Pull out your Sword and kill me Sir"

THEN A BATTLE BEGINS. THE TWO PRINCES DRAW THEIR SWORDS AND AFTER A FEW SWIPES - PRINCE GEORGE FALLS DOWN AS IF DEAD.

PRINCE PATRICK SHOUTS OUT:
 "Doctor, Doctor...Ten pounds for a doctor and no doctor to be got"

THEN A VOICE SHOUTS OUT SAYING:
 "Oh yes, yes, yes, my name is Dr. Browne"

ENTER PHONSIE TEMPLE SAYING:
 "Here comes I wee Dr. Browne, The best wee Doctor in the Town"

PRINCE PATRICK INQUIRES:
 "What can you cure Doctor ?"

DR. BROWNE REPLIES:
 "I cured an auld woman over in Ball Yarr,
She ate the four tyres of an auld Ford car
And a ton of Arran banners that was beginning to rot,
I gave her my ingestion and she digested the lot"

PRINCE PATRICK REMARKED:
 "Very good, very good, what's your fee Doctor ?"

DR. BROWNE REPLIED:
 "Ten pounds Sir"

PRINCE PATRICK REPLIED:
 "Pay the Doctor, would someone pay the Doctor"

THE DOCTOR REPLIED:
 "Thank you, Sir"

AND THEN CONTINUES TO TREAT PRINCE GEORGE STILL LYING ON THE FLOOR, HE OPENS HIS DR'S WEE BLACK BAG TAKING FROM IT A BOTTLE SAYING:

"Hens, Pens, Peasie, Weasie Goose droppings and yellow Bacon
Take ten drops Prince George and arise and fight again"

AFTER A FEW SECONDS PRINCE GEORGE GETS UP TO HIS FEET SAYING:
 "Wonderful, wonderful what have I seen.
Seventeen devils knocked into eighteen!
All dressed up in camels green
If you don't believe me in what I say,
Enter in Jack Straw and he'll soon clear the way."

ENTER TOMMY KEE AS JACK STRAW SAYING:
 "Here comes I Jack Straw, such a man you never saw!
Kissed the devil through a riddle, through a rock, through a reel, through an auld spinning wheel.
Through a mill and happer, through a bag o' pepper, through an auld woman's false teeth
That was never kissed before...and if you don't believe me in what I say,
Enter in Beelzebub and he'll soon clear the way"

ENTER JOHN TEMPLE AS BEELZEBUB SAYING:
 "Here comes I wee Beelzebub, over my shoulder I carry my club
In my hand a frying pan, I think myself a jolly wee man.
Last Christmas eve I turned a spit, I burned my finger
And I feel it yet, just between my finger and thumb,
There rose a blister as big as a plum.
And if you don't believe me in what I say
Enter Wee Devil Doubt and he'll soon clear the way"

ENTER GEORGE LUCAS AS WEE DEVIL DOUBT SAYING:
 "Here comes I wee devil doubt, with my long and crooked snout
Money I want and money I crave,
If you don't give me money I'll send you all to the grave.
And if you don't believe me what I say
Enter in the wee wran and he'll soon clear the way"

ENTER IVAN KNOX, THE WEE WRAN SAYING:
 "Here comes I, the Wee Wran, mother of all birds
On St. Stephen's day I was caught in the flood
If your body's small, your family's great
God Bless you Mistress and give us a treat!
If your heart is any small it wont agree with the boys at all
Put in your hand and pull out your purse
And give it to the gentle Wran
And if you don't believe me in what I say
Enter in Fidley Funny and he'll soon clear the way"

ENTER BRIAN LAFFERTY AS FIDLEY FUNNY, RATTLING HIS MONEY BOX AND MAKING A GREAT NOISE SAYING:
"Here comes I, wee Fidley Funny I'm the man that collects the money
All silver no brass, leather hapence won't pass
And if you don't believe me in what I say Enter in a song.

ENTER THE CALLAN BROTHERS WITH JERRY PLAYING THE MELODEON, THEN JAMES, PHONSIE AND WILLIE SINGING OUR GREAT LOVED MUMMER'S SONG:

THE OLD HOUSE

Lonely I wander through scenes of our childhood
To call back to memory those happy days of yore
Gone are the old folks, the house stands deserted
No light in the window, no welcome at the door.
It's where the wee children played games on the heather
It's where they sailed their wee boats on the burn
Where are they now, some are dead, some have wandered
No more to their homes will these children return.
Gone is the house now, and lonely's the moor land
The children are scattered, the old folk are gone
Here stand I now like a ghost in the shadow
It's time we were moving, it's time we passed on.


We then thanked all in the home for their hospitality and went to the next house. After saying "good night" and wishing everyone a "Happy Christmas".

Ivan Knox, Jan. 2000

Back To Top
Taken from Stranorlar Parish Magazine 2001