School: Donore (roll number 6668)

Location:
Donore, Co. Meath
Teacher:
Maighréad Nic Eóin
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0682, Page 132

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0682, Page 132

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  1. Wake and Funeral Customs
    Long ago when a person died the corpse was not "laid out" in the same way in which it is laid out now. It was placed on a long table and a quilt put over it. It was kept two nights in the house and not brought to the Chapel at all. While the wake was going on every man who came into the house got a pipe and tobacco and every woman got a pinch of snuff. When the day of the funeral came, men carried the corpse to the churchyard on a bier.
    Before the corpse was put into the coffin, it was wrapped in a sheet. When the funeral was leaving the house the "caoiners’ used to march before the corpse to the churchyard, and when the churchyard was reached the coffin was left on the edge of the grave and prayers were said over it.
    The ban-shee is still believed in in this district.
    Patrick Lennon (Scoláire)
    Got from - John Farrell (74)
    Sheephouse, Drogheda
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. activities
      1. social activities (~7)
        1. rites of passage (~573)
          1. death (~1,076)
    Language
    English
    Collector
    Patrick Lennon
    Gender
    Male
    Informant
    John Farrell
    Gender
    Male
    Age
    74
    Address
    Sheephouse, Co. Meath