Hallowe'en Night - Read all about it!
Aside from previous Boundary Debates , the Togher Historical Association undertook its very first Themed Night on 24th October 2014 to discuss the eerie subject of Hallowe'en as it pertained to Togher , albeit a week earlier. Despite a much reduced turnout due to unforeseen circumstances , it was decided to forge ahead in the full spirit of the event. It must be stated that the Daughter of Kathleen O'Keeffe - Alex - was the undoubted star of the show - looking decidedly spooky with her face paint! Of course one other prop made a special guest appearance. The photo below was taken at her home in Westside Estate.
Alex creating a hallowe'en atmosphere
with face paint and carved pumpkin
The Historical Association met at the Togher Community Centre at 7.30 p.m. for a short but detailed look back at the history of Hallowe'en and its traditions in Togher down through the ages. However , a brief recall of its origins was in order to set the mood for the short meeting which lasted for an hour and a half.
Hallowe'en is closely associated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain even though much has been added and copper fastened onto it in the intervening Centuries. In Pre - Christian times , locals would have built up a huge pile of animal carcasses replete with meaty bones and set it alight whilst dancing around the pyre in animal skins. The " bone - fire " would in time be simply shortened to " bon - fire ".
During this time of year , it was firmly believed that the door to the Otherworld opened and souls could freely traverse into the land of the living. It carried one fatal caveat however. The Ancients also believed that evil demons could cross over as well and carry poor unsuspecting innocents back with them. To prevent this , they disguised themselves as animals in an effort to fool the demonic beings.
So it can be seen , that many of the ancient customs have survived down to the present age , albeit in radically altered formats. The wearing of animal hides has been replaced by costumes and masks. The Bonfire for the most part has been moved to an earlier date in the calendar ; to instead usher in the longest day of the year.
As time progressed , many other tales and practices became part of the former Samhain , now Christianised as Hallowe'en or All Hallows Eve. In the early part of the 19th Century , the practice of children visiting houses in exchange for " soul cakes " - little buns with currants - became commonplace and metamorphosed into the " Trick Or Treat " as it is known today.
One other very famous connotation with Hallowe'en began life as an urban tale in the countryside of Ireland - that of Jack O' Lantern. Legend says that the man was so evil that both Heaven and Hell rejected him , though for different reasons. It is said that he managed to trick the Devil by having him climb a tree and then trap him there by carving a cross on the trunk. Satan agreed to his demands for the gift of everlasting life if he would let him down. As his life progressed , Jack became increasingly bad and upon his natural life ending , Heaven refused him access , but the Devil threw a piece of fire from Hell at him so he could see his way in the eternal night he was now cursed to wander. Jack placed it in a turnip which he carved out and used it as a lantern to light his way in perpetual darkness for ever. Local children in the late 19th Century would carve a turnip to light their way along the narrow country lanes as they collected the aforementioned soul cakes. The Irish Immigrants to America in the 19th Century brought this tale with them ; however because of the scarcity of Turnips or Rutabagas as they were called in the new land , they instead adopted the local pumpkin , which was also easier to carve.
The members next discussed local ( if not National ) traditions associated with Hallowe'en such as Barm Bracks ( a tea cake filled with various superstitious baubles ) , bobbing for apples ( in which children would dip their mouths into dishes of water to bite an apple containing various coins of increasing worth ) and the eating of shelled nuts. Kathleen O'Keeffe mentioned that as a child in Togher in the 1960s , the whole scene was very different. Children didn't partake in Trick or Treating ( most probably due to the distances between houses and the dangerous dark roads ). Ghost stories and trying to bite an apple suspended from a piece of string were de rigueur.
Children in Togher in the 1970s would take up the mantle of calling on houses for little gifts , this now commonplace event being made all the safer because of the volume and close proximity of the new housing Estates which by then peppered the landscape. Cheap plastic masks and bin liners were the protocol for youngsters during this time of expanding population. The old ways of ghost stories and bobbing for apples still held sway. But it would seem that modern technology as of today has all but wiped out the older games being replaced by newer forms such as scary movies and monster parties. Indeed , Hallowe'en is second only to Christmas in terms of revenue for Toy manufacturers and Confectionery companies.
Of course , nowadays , the tradition of this worldwide celebration has become extremely Americanised and Disneyfied! Electronic lighted pumpkins , splendid quality costumes , high end confectionery and Themed Parties have supplanted the perhaps simple ways of yesteryear. The price of progress can sometimes be a little too high , yet the Blog felt that like most facets of life , it was perhaps significant that despite the evolutionary aspect of the tradition , it was because of this very process , that the ancient festival of Samhain would continue to live on in perpetuity.
Hallowe'en wouldn't be the same without a Haunted House and Togher can boast of one in Garrane Darragh. Little if anything is known of its former owners who sold off land for housing development in the early 2000s. This now dilapidated structure stands forlornly atop a hill overlooking a bog and oak trees , this scene itself reminiscent of an older age , back when our ancestors bedecked themselves in fur and terrified of demonic spirits ran around a fire of bones!
The meeting ended at 8.50 p.m. approximately and the small group made their way to Kathleen O'Keeffe's house. This was to facilitate the collection by Billy O'Brien of the Togher National Schools archive of film reels and slides kindly loaned by Pat the Caretaker. This project is currently underway and promises to throw up many surprises in the coming months. A rare opportunity to photograph personal memorabilia was also eagerly taken in the form of Jimmy Roche ex-LSF in Togher during the Emergency of 1939 - 1945. This can be seen by clicking on Kathleen's Local Interview. A fantastic end to on the ground operations for the Togher Historical Association for 2014.
Samhain as practiced by the ancient Irish in Togher
Hallowe'en is closely associated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain even though much has been added and copper fastened onto it in the intervening Centuries. In Pre - Christian times , locals would have built up a huge pile of animal carcasses replete with meaty bones and set it alight whilst dancing around the pyre in animal skins. The " bone - fire " would in time be simply shortened to " bon - fire ".
Alex posing with another prop
So it can be seen , that many of the ancient customs have survived down to the present age , albeit in radically altered formats. The wearing of animal hides has been replaced by costumes and masks. The Bonfire for the most part has been moved to an earlier date in the calendar ; to instead usher in the longest day of the year.
As time progressed , many other tales and practices became part of the former Samhain , now Christianised as Hallowe'en or All Hallows Eve. In the early part of the 19th Century , the practice of children visiting houses in exchange for " soul cakes " - little buns with currants - became commonplace and metamorphosed into the " Trick Or Treat " as it is known today.
19th Century Irish Carved Turnip
One other very famous connotation with Hallowe'en began life as an urban tale in the countryside of Ireland - that of Jack O' Lantern. Legend says that the man was so evil that both Heaven and Hell rejected him , though for different reasons. It is said that he managed to trick the Devil by having him climb a tree and then trap him there by carving a cross on the trunk. Satan agreed to his demands for the gift of everlasting life if he would let him down. As his life progressed , Jack became increasingly bad and upon his natural life ending , Heaven refused him access , but the Devil threw a piece of fire from Hell at him so he could see his way in the eternal night he was now cursed to wander. Jack placed it in a turnip which he carved out and used it as a lantern to light his way in perpetual darkness for ever. Local children in the late 19th Century would carve a turnip to light their way along the narrow country lanes as they collected the aforementioned soul cakes. The Irish Immigrants to America in the 19th Century brought this tale with them ; however because of the scarcity of Turnips or Rutabagas as they were called in the new land , they instead adopted the local pumpkin , which was also easier to carve.
Jack O' Lantern with carved lighted turnip
The members next discussed local ( if not National ) traditions associated with Hallowe'en such as Barm Bracks ( a tea cake filled with various superstitious baubles ) , bobbing for apples ( in which children would dip their mouths into dishes of water to bite an apple containing various coins of increasing worth ) and the eating of shelled nuts. Kathleen O'Keeffe mentioned that as a child in Togher in the 1960s , the whole scene was very different. Children didn't partake in Trick or Treating ( most probably due to the distances between houses and the dangerous dark roads ). Ghost stories and trying to bite an apple suspended from a piece of string were de rigueur.
Children in Togher in the 1970s would take up the mantle of calling on houses for little gifts , this now commonplace event being made all the safer because of the volume and close proximity of the new housing Estates which by then peppered the landscape. Cheap plastic masks and bin liners were the protocol for youngsters during this time of expanding population. The old ways of ghost stories and bobbing for apples still held sway. But it would seem that modern technology as of today has all but wiped out the older games being replaced by newer forms such as scary movies and monster parties. Indeed , Hallowe'en is second only to Christmas in terms of revenue for Toy manufacturers and Confectionery companies.
Bobbing for Apples scene
Of course , nowadays , the tradition of this worldwide celebration has become extremely Americanised and Disneyfied! Electronic lighted pumpkins , splendid quality costumes , high end confectionery and Themed Parties have supplanted the perhaps simple ways of yesteryear. The price of progress can sometimes be a little too high , yet the Blog felt that like most facets of life , it was perhaps significant that despite the evolutionary aspect of the tradition , it was because of this very process , that the ancient festival of Samhain would continue to live on in perpetuity.
Hallowe'en wouldn't be the same without a Haunted House and Togher can boast of one in Garrane Darragh. Little if anything is known of its former owners who sold off land for housing development in the early 2000s. This now dilapidated structure stands forlornly atop a hill overlooking a bog and oak trees , this scene itself reminiscent of an older age , back when our ancestors bedecked themselves in fur and terrified of demonic spirits ran around a fire of bones!
Togher's very own Haunted House -
Garrane Darragh near Eagle Valley Estate
The meeting ended at 8.50 p.m. approximately and the small group made their way to Kathleen O'Keeffe's house. This was to facilitate the collection by Billy O'Brien of the Togher National Schools archive of film reels and slides kindly loaned by Pat the Caretaker. This project is currently underway and promises to throw up many surprises in the coming months. A rare opportunity to photograph personal memorabilia was also eagerly taken in the form of Jimmy Roche ex-LSF in Togher during the Emergency of 1939 - 1945. This can be seen by clicking on Kathleen's Local Interview. A fantastic end to on the ground operations for the Togher Historical Association for 2014.
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