Men Of Straw, an intro to the Fermanagh Mummers

[billymagfhloinn]

I'd also like to say that Joe, I admire your dedication to keeping the way you do it a true representation of the old style. You feel strongly about this. I also admire Jim's style, who borrows and mixes ideas together into something new. In a way, this is true to the tradition as well, as people always innovated and adopted new motifs and ideas. there's a place for us all.

[billymagfhloinn]

I'm going t weigh in on this, as I know several of the figures involved, including Joe and Jim. Perhaps Joe is right in saying that this is not the pure mumming tradition as such, but at all times the tradition is evolving and being influenced by outside forces. Joe, you yourself linked to a video on youtube of a Co. Clare performance, which is clearly a hybrid of wrenboys and mummers, and yet is perfectly traditional. It's important that the customs stay alive, and are part of current tradition

[duncaolog]

“Never make a tradition or break a tradition”. There are three distinct and separate traditions in Irish folk drama: Mummers, Strawboys and Wrenboys. Aughakillymaude Mummers are, with respect, a collection of everything and nothing. Their shows are very well produced but should be represented as just that: a show BASED on folk customs.

[celticways]

@duncaolog I've always had the impression that Jim's idea was to present shows based on folk drama traditions. Though, I think he started with an orally passed down mumming script that probably came in with the planters. I tend to view traditions on a sean nos level so I get quite confused seeing distinct and tradition in the same sentence. Someone at some time came up with the Mummer, Strawboys and Wrenboy names, but I'm sure it was never the actual players that invented those names.

[duncaolog]

@celticways I don't like to be critical of the Aughakillymaude group as I know them very well and indeed travelled to Bulgaria and Sardinia with them. Perhaps it's sufficent to leave it that the shows should be, and in the future hopefully will be, presented as "based on folk tradition". It would make the ancestors very happy! :-)

[celticways]

@duncaolog What impresses me most there at Aughakillymaude is the passing on of strawcraft traditions which is getting too scarce. 

[duncaolog]

@celticways That is true. Their straw work is very good. Our 'Sidhe Gaoithe' group meet once a year to make the Strawboy costumes here in Sligo. When we run short a Ballintogher man Ted Kelly helps us out. He is a master craftsman with much of his work on show in the Museum of Country Life in Co Mayo — where we perform the Mummer play at Christmas. In fact they had a genuine traditional Strawboy costume on display there the last time I visited.

[FeenishProductions]

Just to let you all know the full 24 minute version of this documentary can be found at youtube.com/watch?v=XxQ5BcY8fe­I

[celticways]

@FeenishProductions This is great news !! There was not an over 5 minutes facility on YouTube when this edited version went up. I feel this version is still ok for a quick view, but the 24 minutes is better if you have the time. Thanks for this :-)

[duncaolog]

This is a load of rubbish that has nothing to do with tradition. It is theatre, that's all, a mixture of everything and nothing. It does a huge disservice by representing this nonsense as true tradition when it is not! Worse still these 'mummers' travel abroad pretending this is a true representation of Irish customs. It is anything but. Shame!!

[ArdRi79]

A genuine question not meaning to get at you on the internet: What makes you say that mumming isnt Trad?

Im looking at stuff from the folklore commission as I type and strawboys are mentioned. Its from the 1950's but the question put to the informants involved 'old traditions' not current ones.

[duncaolog]

No problem ArdRi and no offense taken. I know the lads in question, including Jim, and they're sound fellows socially so don't really want to elaborate further. Of course there are Strawboys, and Mummers, but they are separate traditions and they mean different things. Customs should be kept as they were handed down to us. I am leader of a group called Sidhe Gaoithe myself and come from that tradition.

[celticways]

@duncaolog I reckon Straw Boys and Mummers both came from other traditions, just as the USA Trick Or Treat, now exported all over Europe is an extremely watered down tradition from the Scottish Guisers which was something else before that. Traditions are never stable, always evolving, changing, merging, splitting up. Wrote down is a moment of time and not a tradition itself. To me tradition is like whispering a message around a bus, the last person hears something very different to the first

[celticways]

Jim Ledwith is very community spirited with "Men Of Straw" and local folk love being part of this when they can. The last thing Jim does is promote this as being exclusive Fermanagh tradition hence why he is constantly promoting Mummers and folk drama groups from all over Ireland, Europe and the world. Yes, The Men Of Straw provide a Fermanagh interpretation. I would hope every mummers and folk drama group would do of their community.

[hardheadcast]

It's a shame that this keeps getting trotted out as the culture and tradition of Fermanagh. The same thing over and over again...How inclusive is this tradition despite its massive funding from european and other funders dedicated to anti-sectarianism and a shared future? This is seems to be more about ego and self-presevervation of one individual, rather than the need for a community to express its cultural heritage authentically!!

[MCD77]

I really enjoyed this, I hope I can come and see the mummers sometime.

[oldtimerose]

This is wonderful! Post more! I loved it!!!

[BardofCornwall]

Very interesting. Thanks for posting.

[celticways]

not just Derrylin as I know mummers, straw boys, wren boys and other folk drama troupes in Mayo, Kerry, several in Co. Sligo, Tipperary, Wexford, Antrim, Derry, and that's just Ireland. The tradition goes back a long, long time.

[gerry2u]

what a load of shite are all the people in derrylin like this

[roryhogan]

We won't be giving you the cure.. Thats for sure....