This year is the 25th anniversary of the revival in Dublin of the old Irish tradition of hunting the Wren (pronounced Wran) on St. Stephen’s Day, 26th December on Sandymount Green.

The day’s events will begin with a poetry reading at around 11am in the Sandymount House followed by performers on the ‘Guinness Gig Rig’ from 12 noon, keeping everyone warm util 2pm.

This old Irish tradition of hunting the Wren is shrouded in legend and is still practised in many parts of the country, particularly in Kerry.

In times past, the Wran was actually hunted and killed, tied to a holly bush and paraded around the locality in celebration of the Winter Solstice Festival. Nowadays, the Wran is represented by a symbolic bird in a holly bush and accompanied by much music-making and merriment.

This year the Grand Marshall is Aine Holland, who will also be singing. The Master of Ceremonies is Mick O’Brien and Chief Whip will be Pat McEvoy. The father of the Wren is to be Bob Ryan, whose son is the Energy Minister Eamonn.

Performers will include the band ‘The Shamrockery’ and Mick Lacey, Bill Doonan and Cathal Holland (Aine’s father) all singing along with the other groups of musicians.

There will also be ‘The Swords Mummers’ who do ‘mumming’, a centuries-old mid-winter tradition of folk drama that involves dressing in strange costumes and sometimes performing a series of character roles in rhyme.

The Wran the Wran the king of all birds
On St. Stephen’s Day he was caught in the furze
Up with the kettle and down with the pan
A penny or tuppence to bury the wran
The Wran the Wran for all to see
Here dressed up in a holly tree
Now Mrs Murphy don’t be thinking
Give us our money and let us go drinking

This year the collections made at the merrymaking on the morning go to the Bethlehem Maternity Hospital.