School: Ball Áluinn (Balla) (roll number 1146)
- Location:
- Balla, Co. Mayo
- Teacher: P. Ó Maolanaigh
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- XML School: Ball Áluinn (Balla)
- XML Page 176
- XML “Funeral Customs”
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- People stop the clocks at the hour the person dies. In olden times the dying person was put on straw on the floor beside the bed. It was not thought right for a person to die in bed. Blessed candles are placed in the hands of the dying person. The neighbouring women wash the body. A habit is then got and the mouth is closed by a marbh fáisce. A wake is held. At this the custom was to give clay pipes and tobacco to those present. Snuff was also given. Whiskey and porter were distributed. If the person was not very old women when entering and saying a few prayers joined hands beside where the corpse lay and caoined for several minutes. They were not really crying but wailing. A corpse was always carried feet first everywhere. It was not right to take a coffin by a short cut. And it was wrong to leave a coffin on the ground in going to the churchyard. If it were left down any person who walked on the spot afterwards at night would go astray. Candle sticks and bed sheets for the dead were the common property of the townland and were not used for other purposes. A general washing took place after a funeral.
- Collector
- P. Ó Maolanaigh
- Gender
- Male