Local history with Monica McGill: Lá an Dreóilín pays homage to the wren, the king of all birds
The Wran, the Wran, the King of all Birds
On Stephen’s Day was caught in the furze.
Up with the kettle and down with the pan,
Give us a penny to bury the Wran.
If you haven’t a penny, a ha’penny will do,
If you haven’t a ha’penny, God bless you.
If you’re lucky, you could hear this nonsense chorus – or a similar version of it – on December 26 in Clondalkin and some other special locations.
It celebrates Wren Day (Lá an Dreóilín), traditionally held on the day after the commemoration of Christ’s birth.
That day is generally also known in Ireland as St Stephen’s Day and in Britain as Boxing Day. Down the years, the word “wren” has changed to “wran” in the rhymes.
The performances
On entering a premises, the traditional loud call of “Room! Room! Give us some room – The Wran, the Wran, the King of all Birds!” is announced by one of the group, interrupting the seasonal chat and merriment of the people present.
Some already know about Wren Day, while others experience it for the first time.
The traditional chorus is recited to musical accompaniment, and “the craic” continues with more songs and traditional music – occasionally dance is included for good measure.
Ancient tradition
The Wren Day tradition is very old, said to originate in pre-Christian times.
Unhappily for wrens then, they were regarded as bad luck in ancient Ireland. Thankfully that is no longer so, although Wren Groups still carry aloft an effigy of “the wran” in their pageantry.
In ancient times, one way to eliminate ill-fortune in the coming year was to bury a dead wren with some valuable token.
The token later became a penny, hence the coin’s inclusion in the Wren Day chorus.
Research indicates that variations of Wren Day took place in England, Wales, the Isle of Man, the south of France and in Galicia in Spain, but the wren wasn’t always linked with bad luck in those places.
The custom and tradition of Lá an Dreólín continued throughout Ireland for generations, particularly in counties Kerry, Limerick, Galway, Sligo and Wexford as well as parts of Dublin (especially in Fingal, with the Fingal Mummers).
Originally limited to male players and called Wren Boys, the modern version of Wren groups is open to all.
Possibly as a result of the Great Famine, the Wren Groups’ tradition fell away somewhat, but was regenerated throughout Ireland since about 1900.
Certainly, people who grew up in Fingal in the early 1900s (like this writer’s grandfather) knew the traditional rhymes well.
Mummers, Wren groups and Straw Boys
Mummers is the collective name given to all such performers. However, those who know about mummers in detail distinguish between Wren Groups and Straw Boys.
Apparently while Wren Groups confine their public activities to Wren Day/St Stephen’s Day, Straw Boys can be active at any time, and are reputedly delighted if they receive an invitation to perform their pageantry at wedding receptions, and other significant family and public events.
In recent years, the Fingal Mummers have taken part joyously in Clondalkin’s St Bridget’s Day celebrations at the start of February, to much acclaim and appreciation.
A wren, sketched by Monica McGill
About the wren
Dreólín in Irish means “little trickster”, indicating how brave and cunning the wren can be if necessary.
It’s a very small bird, being only about 9 cms long and weighing only about
7 gms. It’s mostly brown and well camouflaged.
The wren is one of the most difficult birds to see although its loud and musical song can be heard clearly, often ending abruptly before the bird flits away.
You can see and hear a wren on a Wildlife World video on YouTube video – Bird sound – Wren chirping and singing, bird call and song.
Though common, wrens are notoriously difficult to catch. They can fly very fast and have a wide range of natural habitats – including woodland, farmland, bogs, urban areas and suburban gardens.
A gardener’s friend, wrens favour many garden pests in their diet. Despite its small size, a single wren can defend its territory successfully against other, much larger birds, especially in winter, and can even oust other birds from their well-established nesting sites.
Wrens prefer to nest in small spaces. Their Latin name – Troglodytes troglodytes (‘cave dweller’) – suggests their tendency to nest in wall cavities.
Their nests are usually close to woody vegetation. They construct cosy nests where they can lay up to 10 eggs, sometimes twice a year.
Lá an Dreóilín, in a Clondalkin pub, 2022.
Photo: © Monica McGill
Traditional tale
The “little trickster” is also called the King of All Birds, as mentioned in Wren groups’ traditional chorus. The story goes that all the birds competed to see which could fly the highest and furthest.
Each bird boasted about their special gifts – especially the eagle – but the wren remained silent. It was so light and tiny, it hid unnoticed in the eagle’s feathers as the great bird took flight along with the others.
As each bird grew weary and withdrew from the competition, the eagle was sure it had won and so it too dropped towards the ground.
However, at the height of the eagle’s soaring, the wren emerged from the feathers at the top of the eagle’s head and flew on. Thus, all had to acknowledge that the wren was indeed the King of All Birds.
Clondalkin Wren Group
In the last few years, locals have established a lively Wren Group in Clondalkin. Each year the Wren Day collection goes to help people who are in need.
Clondalkin Wren Group is grateful to the management of local pubs to allow them to perform. They thank all for being so generous in their donations to charities each year and wish each donor every good luck in the coming year.
Clondalkin’s Wren Group can be contacted through Áras Chrónáin or phone 01-4574847 and leave a message for Ms Lile Frost.
* For more information about Wren Groups and many other traditional activities and crafts, see Ireland’s National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage at nationalich@chg.gov.ie
and HERE.
