School: Cnoc na Sná (B.), Mainistir na Féile (roll number 12368)

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1. Wakes (continued)

   

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   to the corpse house. They arrive, sympathise with the bereaved friends and may shed of some tears of sorrow over the loss. Formerly it was the custom to "caoin" over the deceased. The women took a special pride in being able to caoin well. An amusing story, and a true one, relates how an old woman and her two daughters- in law went to the wake of a near relative. On arrival there the old dame cried aloud and caoined for quite a good while. The daughters-in-law shed a few silent tears. All went well til they were on their homeward journey and the mother-in-law accosted the two and told them they were like two puísíns mea-abhaing and why on earth didn't they cry like woman would. She said she was ashamed of them and they ought to be ashamed.
   I understand the custom of caoining was such that a specially selected woman was told off for the purpose to chime in with the relatives on arrival, and to keep her in good heart for the purpose, she was provided with a goodly supply of spirits. This caoining is now a thing of the past. Over a great loss some sad heartfelt tears are shed and it ends there.
   On arrival now at the wake house and sympathising with the relatives they kneel and say a few prayers for the repose of the deceased's soul. The are then treated with refreshments and they renew their prayers "May the Lord have mercy on his or her soul. Regarding the refreshments, as soon as the person dies a list of articles is made out for the wake, e.g. one, two or 3 barrels of stout, 5 or 6 bottles whiskey, 5 or 6 bottles of wine, 3 or 4 doz, of bread, tobacco and pipes, snuff, tea, sugar, jam, butter, and candles to lite for the corpse.

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   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

   D. O Connor

   Gender

   Male

   Occupation

   Múinteoir