School: Cathair Loisgreáin (C)
- Location:
- Caherlustraun, Co. Galway
- Teacher: Máire Nic Aodha
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0022, Page 0550a
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- PISREÓGA ABOUT WAKES AND FUNERALS
1 It was the general belief that if a young man or woman died, it was the fairies that had taken him or her, or if a baby died the people believed the same.
2 Some people use to put clay into the coffin with the remains.
3 They used also out three corners of the winding shut and leave the fourth.
4 Whatever point a dying person would be faced towards, they would turn them towards the east even when gasping death.
5 When taking the remains to be buried, whether by cart or car, the herse would be taken there from, and turned round three times, and put under the car again.
6 People do not like to start the digging of a grave on Monday, or on holy Innocents` Day.
7 It was an old custom with the people to leave a plate of tobacco or snuff over the corpse.
8 It was customary to give a pipeful of tobacco to each person present, and they used to smoke it in the corpse house, as it was not right to bring it out of doors.
9 They also say that it is right to have a few people with you washing the clothes, after a person has died in the house.
10 Long ago they used to say it was right to eat something before you would go into the corpse house .
Mary Walsh. 13/12/37.
- Collector
- Mary Walsh
- Gender
- Female
- Informant
- Miachel Conneely
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 65
- Address
- Derrymore, Co. Galway
