Rambling Tradition lives on in Co. Donegal, Ireland 1975

In remote areas of Donegal there has been a revival of the ancient custom of rambling.
So what exactly is rambling?
It’s an attempt to stop the deterioration in community life and each week a house is chosen in every townland and acts as host to every other household in that district for a night of chat and entertainment.
The tradition involves locals gathering in a house for an evening of story telling, playing cards, singing and music, and whatever else takes your fancy.
While the women sit and embroider or knit and exchange snippets of gossip, the men gather around the table to play the card game 25. Music, chat and tea are the order of the day.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 16 December 1975. The reporter is Colm Connolly.

[@connoroleary591]

I can remember "rambling".
Just an opportunity to get out of the house and chat with neighbours over tea or a little alcohol.
Respectful people from most classes did it. You must never arrive empty handed, but quietly put a packet of biscuits or a cake on the table as you arrived.
They were really wonderful days. "Prosperity" made us all poorer.

[@baxpiz1289]

rambling today: watch bygone social gatherings on a screen

[@waitwhatrly]

We don't know our neighbours and that's just how the govern mente likes it

[@TheRustedPixel]

I've met my neighbours. I'm ok not knowing them.

[@irishcountryman4866]

Did one of them knitters have a moustache?

[@seanpuptreacy]

That woman knitting has more facial hair than me 😂 some stash on her

[@S7tronic]

With a Ronnie like that she could be selling overpriced oat milk lattes in Stoneybatter.

[@solomonstrain2358]

that's someone's mother not nice if her family was looking at this of there mum or grandmother and saw the coment about the womon having face hair think of the big picture words hurt imagine if your mum was on this and you read a comment from a stranger cause they wouldn't care either cause your mum would mean nothing to them but she would mean the world to you and that woman wasn't always like that she once was a little girl playing and going to school and no one knows what they are going to look like when they get older

[@colors6692]

@@solomonstrain2358 So it's better to be nice and say nothing for fear of hurting someone's feelings? Is that why Irish people dress so badly?🤦🏿‍♀️

[@jamesbradshaw3389]

Illegal gambling, playing music, smoking, laughing, telling stories of the young Cuchulainn, how his eyes were dark his expression sullen, how he'd fight and always won And how they cried when he was fallen, Telling jokes, laughing out loud, netting and drinking tea in the presents of a priest, This is where it all started to go wrong, They would not listen to my words of warning..

[@johnnielson7676]

I hear you’ve been a-rambling, Father Ted.

[@sotospeak415]

You're 4th word in that is where it started to go wrong mate

[@animallover19581]

🤪😃🤣😤🥳🍺🍻🍺🍻👍👍👍👍🚗

[@jamesbradshaw3389]

@@johnnielson7676 Ha Ha ,Yes

[@jamesbradshaw3389]

@@sotospeak415 I have to agree with you, yes the 4th words, Thank you friend/mate

[@freemindthinkerezrapound5071]

The priest smoking and you can be sure he had a drop of the crater in him as well and that's the way it should be we are all only human so let's enjoy life as much as it is possible

[@damiendaly983]

Hope thats all.he had in him , the dirty feckers lol

[@colors6692]

0:28 "woman" on left! Goatee?😂

[@stanthony2330]

Deffo🤣