School: Castlejordan (roll number 15974)

Location:
Castlejordan, Co. Meath
Teacher:
M. Nic Amhlaoidh
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0694, Page 049

Archival Reference

The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0694, Page 049

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  1. XML School: Castlejordan
  2. XML Page 049
  3. XML “Wakes”

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  1. Wakes
    The customs that are carried on at wakes are different now from years gone by. Now when a person is waking all the neighbours gather into the wakehouse to sympathise with the relatives and friends of the dead person. It is the custom to have tea, minerals, and biscuits for the women that attend the wake, and there is generally drink for the men. The person that lays out the dead person always has to take whiskey.
    When a person is being waked the women all go to the wake in the day-time and the wakehouse is generally crowded out with men in the night, and they all recite the rosary.
    Long ago the customes were quite different. There were pipes and tobacco for the men and snuff left on a plate for the women. There used to be also gallons of whiskey and a barrell of porter. The reason why there is not so much drink now at wakes is because the drink got too dear and very few people are able to buy it.
    This is another old custom that used to be
    (continues on next page)
    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
    Nan Carew
    Gender
    Female
    Address
    Ballinabrackey, Co. Meath
    Informant
    Bessie Cooney
    Gender
    Female
    Age
    25
    Address
    Ballinabrackey, Co. Meath