Some time before or after the famine years there lived in Cloonkeen in the parish of Kilkerrin a notorious character known as "liam na gCleas". This liam seemed to be gifted in mischief and at last anything that was done mischievously liam's name was attached to it.
At wakes in those times many tricks used to be played and liam was the inventor of many of them. The priest heard about it and he tried to stop him. He allowed nobody to a wake outside a second cousin and in many cases there would be only two or three in the house where the remains would be owing to the priest's order.
At this time an old person died in the village and there were only three people at the wake which lasted two nights. Liam knew that these people would be weary after being awake