Originally prepared for textual analysis during his PhD research on the 'Origins and Development of English Folk Plays' by Peter Millington (2002).
Original spelling and typography is retained, except that superscripts, long s and ligatured forms are not encoded.
Line identifiers are those used for line types in the Folk Play Scripts Explorer.
"Fermanagh Straw Boys
Recent work being done by the Irish Folklore Commission the Ulster Folk Museum Staff and private collectors has greatly increased our knowledge of the Play in Ireland. All known examples are Hero-Combat texts, no Sword Dance or Wooing actions have come to light, and it is almost certain that none existed. The Play in Ireland is only found in areas of English or Scottish settlement, all are in English with no hint of Gaelic texts, and it is evident that the Play was taken to Ireland by settlers from Great Britain. There is some evidence of an earlier Irish ceremony which contained a death and resurrection. This could be an indigenous custom which was overlaid by the new importation. As in England, there is regional variation in texts and characters in the Irish ceremonies, and this example, typical of its county of origin, is reproduced from the collector's own manuscript, unaltered.
Belcoo Mummers' Play
Collected by Mrs Jennifer Robinson 1965, from Mr Ted De Lacy, a performer in his youth. The play was performed regularly until about 1940, and Mr De Lacy thought that the Border situation finally killed it. Passes were not Issued to troupes to move backwards and forwards over the Border, and the gangs of disguised men were not popular with the Royal Ulster Constabulary. The mummers came out on or before December 26th for about a week and collected funds to celebrate on their big night, January 6th. There were several neighbouring teams and much rivalry as to who could 'do' a village first and get the most generous contributions. A good team would consist of anything up to eighteen performers and possibly several musicians; extra characters used on occasion at Belcoo were Tommy Stout, Devil Dout and The Linnet, the last being the singer. Other odd characters were invented if there were a lot of extras in some years, and they made up rhymes to fit their names. They came in at the end. Green Knight replaced Grand Turk In the team's later days.
Belcoo is on the Fermanagh/Cavan border and is fairly remote from any big town, the nearest being Ennisklllen. The team toured as large an area as their legs or available trans- port could make It, and the men came from Belcoo and Boho, two neighbouring hamlets, the latter formerly having its own team.
Costume
Captain - A bandolier, made from a flour bag or some such. An odd cap or hat, or a bigger version of the straw hat worn by the others with more horns on the top and more ribbons. Carried a staff to give three knocks on the door at each house.
Doctor - Hard (billycock) hat and black jacket. A beard (artificial) and blackened face.
Jack Straw - 'All over straw'.
Biddy - Funny Female clothes.
Others - As illustration, page 30. Prince George carried a wooden 'rapier' and Grand Turk a wooden 'long sword'.
The faces were either hidden under hats or disguised and the voices were disguised If possible. The hats and the horns on top were lengthened or shortened as required to make the men as far as possible the same height.
Belcoo Mummer
Based on a drawing by Mrs Jennifer Robinson The straw costume worn by these performers is not as elaborate as in other examples from the same county, the straw being confined to the headdress, the belt and knee ties. A correspondent to the Ulster Folk Museum gave a thumbnail sketch of a straw clad mummer which showed that in the area of Drumquin, Co. Tyrone, the mummers wore straw costumes made like the elaborate paper fringes worn at Andover, Hampshire. Similar straw costumes were worn by the Straw Boy in Ireland, who appeared at weddings and danced with the Bride, but had no play text."
Helm and Cawte's Note:* The text as written down by Mr De Lacy was in continuous prose, but is divided Into verse here for convenience.
Peter Millington's Notes:Electronic text (less notes) copied from: