School: Mercy Convent, Rathangan
- Location:
- Rathangan, Co. Kildare
- Teacher: Sr. M. Pádraig
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0778, Page 085
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- There were various old customs about wakes and funerals long ago. If a person died suddenly, and if any old person was there , the people who were tidying the room, would not be allowed to sweep the dust out, but to put it in under the bed. If the corpse did not get stiff, it was said that there would soon be another death in the same family.
Before the sheets were spread the four corners had to be cut off them, and it was said there was a cure in them, and also the ends of the candles used at the wakes. The people as they came in were given snuff, and the men got pipes filled with (tobacc) tobacco, and they were called, "Lord o mercy pipes", because they were never used only at wakes. The people who came to the house before the funeral used "keen" before the coffin was carried out.
The lid was always left off the coffin until it was at the gate of(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Carmel Flynn
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Coolelan, Co. Kildare
