I come from a small town in the west of Ireland, Castlebar. At Christmas, “The Waits” still go around playing songs and shouting out the time of night. In Ireland, Castlebar is the only town I know where such a tradition is kept up.
The English army used be stationed in Castlebar so I expect the tradition was brought from England by them or perhaps by the local Lord’s, the Binghams whose most famous (or infamous) son was Lord Lucan.
Anyway just though I’d drop a note to make you aware of this “incarnation” of the Waits.

For more information, please see www.castlebar.ie

And from Brian Hoban, Castlebar, County Mayo.

I thought you would be interested to read the link on the custom of the waits in our town: towns.mayo-ireland.ie.