A child’s Christmas in a West Kerry village

Turning back the years to that magical time

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The house had to be spotless, clean swept and ready for decorating at least a week before Christmas. The parents usually went on a day’s excursion to the town of Dingle to “bring home the Christmas” during the week and the children of the village would troupe to the house in the evening for a fistful of “sweets”. There was excitement and chewing and muffled giggles all the way home.

We had a nice supper on Christmas Eve before heading out for Midnight Mass and a healthy helping of Christmas cake went down easy for anything with a sweet taste was in great demand. A narrow little bohereen, known as the “Tochar” was our pathway to the Church in Boulteen and what an awesome sight awaited us from a higher vantage point – there you would see the candles lighting in all the windows of every house in the parish.

Upon arriving home after Mass, another hefty slice of Christmas cake was in order.  Then Mam would remind Dad about the “gabhall” of hay for the front door. Dad would go to the haggard and draw enough for a tidy bale and deposit it at our front door. We all went to bed then knowing that the donkey, carrying Joseph, the Virgin Mary and the Baby Jesus, would have enough to eat while they stopped for a visit at our house on Christmas Night

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