At the
end of the island, at the pier where people left their boats to go to the
mainland, there was a post upon which hung a hat. At the time, the men of Achill would have
worn a cap, but when going into town, for that little bit of formality, any man
who was going to town would put on that hat and then leave it at the post when
he returned.
A visitor
in the 19th century recorded he saw two men in a running contest around the
island to decide which one had the right to marry a certain woman, "which
was by no means uncommon."
-- "Leave
Your Hat At The Sound," RTE radio documentary about the men of Achill
Island, 1974.
Photo: Islanders, courtesy of Irishphotolinks.com
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