towednack cuckoo feast

Towednack Cuckoo Feast




Sometimes called "crowder" feast is on the nearest Sunday to April 28th a feast is put on by the Towednack parish.

It started in very early times when winters extended in to the spring than they do now. One of the old inhabitant who became joyful in spite of the harshness of the season invited all his neighbors to his house. To warm his house he place on the burning faggots the stump of a tree. It began to blaze and inspired by the warmth and light they began to sing and drink and when, lo! With a whiz and a whir, out flew a bird from the hollow in the stump crying Cuckoo! Cuckoo!. The bird was caught and kept by the farmer and he and his friends resolved to renew the festal meeting every year at this date.

A fiddler formed a procession at the church door and led the people through the village to some tune on his "crowd", reason why it is sometimes called "crowder" feast.