School: An Pasáiste Thoir (C.), Port Láirge

Location:
Passage East, Co. Waterford
Teacher:
Clare, Bean Uí Eachthigheirn

Filter stories

Back
/ 350 Forward
Resolution: Low | High
An Pasáiste Thoir (C.), Port Láirge | The Schools’ Collection

Archival Reference

The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0652, Page 245

Image and data © National Folklore Collection, UCD. See copyright details »

On this page

(continued from previous page)

they could see some figures in the dim light. On coming nearer they were horrified to discover two corpses one handing on either side of the wall, - one that of the recently buried Mr. Williams and the other that of the body-snatcher.

What had happened was this: The bod snatcher proceeded to Crooke Churchyard with a large potatoe 'kish' for the body. He had the kish fixed on a across his forehead with a rope so that none would suspect his load to be anything suspicious. He secured the body and deposited it in the kish, carried the kish on his back - in the usual fashion - suspended from a rope balanced across his forhead.
Apparently he stopped with his back to the bridge to rest his load on the low stone wall. With a sudden jerk the rope slipped from his forehead to his neck - the heavy kish hung over the wall of the bridge and tightened the rope across the throat of the unfortunate man and hanged him. In this position the two men found him. Horrified at the dreadful sight the men were

(continues on next page)
Collector
Brigid Donnelly
Gender
female
Address
Passage East, Co. Waterford
Informant
William Baston
Relation
unknown
Gender
male
Age
circa 60
Address
Passage East, Co. Waterford
Language
English
Location
Crooke