School: Scoil na Móna Fliche (Moanflugh) (roll number 10272)

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1. Sickness - Death

   

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   There were but few sudden deaths in the olden times; the people were strong and healthy and would be sick for a long time before death. The friends and neighbours would be at their bedside night and day. ("Friends" here mean relatives). The old woman could tell any change in the patient, also when to expect his death. When dying, all the people would be praying around the bed. The men and women would help and lay out the corpse on a large table in the kitchen. The table would be covered with a white sheet, and a canopy of white linen nicely done up with ribbons. Then all kneel down and say the Rosary. As soon as it was finished the family would clap their hands and cry. All would join in the Caoine, which would be heard far away.
   Long ago there were no hearses; the men would shoulder the corpse to the grave, they did not mind what distance they had to travel. The women riding behind the men on saddled horses. (ar chúlaibh na bhfear. Woman called cúlóg)
   The old people believed that a cock crowing at night was a warning of death to a member or relative of the family. If the cock crew at night they would not go out alone, they would go to bed. At that time the cock had a perch over the door in the kitchen, and his crow would wake them in the morning.

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. activities
      1. social activities (~7)
         1. rites of passage (~573)
            1. death (~1,076)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Kitty Buckley

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   10

   Address

   Maulnahorna, Co. Cork

   Informant

   Mrs John Buckley

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   52

   Address

   Maulnahorna, Co. Cork