School: Clochar na Trócaire, Béal Átha 'n Fheadha (roll number 5215)
- Location:
- Ballina, Co. Mayo
- Teacher: John McGee
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0146, Page 228
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- When a person dies they are not washed nor the people do not cry for 3 hours. This is supposed to represent the 3 hours our Lord hung on the cross. When the women start to wash a corpse they have to get a glass of whiskey, they face the feet of the corpse towards the grave-yard while they are washing it, and at the dusk or the dawn they bury the water, clothes, soap, and comb used on the corpse so that nobody will walk on them. In olden times white clay pipes and tobacco were given out at wakes and there were brought home and kept. These were called "Lord have mercy pipes". During the night of a wake they played games " Tart the brought", "the button" and "high court". They never leave down a coffin on the road from once they have left the house until they reach the cathedral or the graveyard, because if the did there would be supposed to be a stray in that place people going that road after 12 oclock at night were supposed to get the "Fear Garta" and would be led astray by the(continues on next page)
- Informant
- Mr Michael Ferguson
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 60
- Occupation
- Tailor
- Address
- Ardnaree or Shanaghy, Co. Mayo
- Informant
- Tom Ferguson
- Relation
- Unknown
- Gender
- Male
- Occupation
- Farmer
- Address
- Ardnaree or Shanaghy, Co. Mayo
