School: Cromadh (B.)
- Location:
- Croom, Co. Limerick
- Teacher: Dáithí Ó Ceanntabhail
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0507, Page 207
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- XML School: Cromadh (B.)
- XML Page 207
- XML “Funeral Customs etc”
- XML “Radalach”
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- (continued from previous page)directly due to the wretched conditions in which country graveyards are kept. They are in summer, but wilderness of rank vegetation, and in winter mere hillocks of rotting weeds that hide fallen and neglected headstones. Priests, and especially old Priests, of whom, as I write I have two in mind, found themselves unable to negotiate the course round the graveyard, and so insisted that the coffin should be borne directly to the grave. However, the origin of this custom of going round the graveyard with the coffin, was explained to me - as he had heard it explained when a boy - by John Farrell, 74 years, Manager, Croom Mills. He says, that when "The wolf was very plentiful in Ireland, they used often make a descent on newly made graves, tear them open and bring forth and devour the remains. In order to throw the wolf off the scent, the remains therefore, were carried round the graveyard before being interred, and in order to baffle the wolf still further, a blanket of sod from the field, some distance away, was placed over the newly made grave, into which above the coffin were put a number of heavy stones. Even if the wolf did discover the new grave - the stones would prevent him from getting at the body under them".
- Radalach = A big, awkward loutish person (Cromadh)
