School: Johnstown (roll number 877)
- Location:
- Johnstown, Co. Meath
- Teacher: Miss H.C. Hickie
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0687, Page 100
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- XML “Funeral Customs”
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- In several parishes in the diocese of Meath - the nearest to us is Slane - they have a custom at funerals which is locally termed "Auctioning the corpse"
All people who attend the funeral give an offering of money according to their means.
A table is set beside the coffin at which the relatives of the deceased stand. The mourners and others attending the funeral walk up in procession lay their offerings on the table and pass on.
The relatives are mortally offended if anyone neglects to pay or pays a sum not in proportion to their means.
This money goes to the Parish Priest of the place of residence of the dead person.
It is a survival of the Penal days where priests were not endowed with much worldly goods.
Never heard of this custom in any other part of Ireland except Meath.
- Collector
- H. C. Hickie
- Gender
- Female
- Occupation
- Teacher
