September 29 is Michaelmas or the Feast of St. Michael. This marked the “goose harvest” when geese hatched in the spring were ready for market. A goose was killed on this day and a portion given to the poor. On farms with orchards this was the proper time to pick the apples and make cider. Down was also plucked from live geese for pillows and mattresses.
In Traymore, Co. Wexford, the custom of “going to the sea” is over 200 years old when merchants from neighboring towns descended on Traymore selling their wares. The local merchants and townspeople would march to the sea with an effigy of St. Michael and throw it in the sea as a humorous hint to the saint that they were losing money. The hunting season also began on this day.
Source: The Year in Ireland by Kevin Danaher.
