Oh, Eire...

Oh, Wikipedia:

Observed up to the early 19th century, and called Whipping The Herring, it involved a local butcher parading through the streets to the Lee while flogging a herring with a whip. Followed by local people, once at the river he would drop the herring into the water, and, picking up leg of lamb adorned with ribbons, he would then parade back to his shop. There he would distribute cuts of the meat to the joyous spectators

What? The questions this raises are many. Am I a bad person for giggling uncontrollably at the phrase "whipping the herring"? Why had I not heard of this before? Is this just some fool putting random stuff on Wikipedia?