School: Clonyhurk
- Location:
- Clonyhurk, Co. Offaly
- Teacher: J. Mason
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0803, Page 039
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- XML School: Clonyhurk
- XML Page 039
- XML “Wakes and Funeral Customs”
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- At a wake every woman is offered a glass of wine, and biscuits. The women usually go to a wake during the day. At night the men come and as a rule stay seated in the kitchen (not in the wake-room) all night, or until an early hour. They pass the night chatting, talking, telling stories, experiences etc. Each man on his arrival is offered a clay pipe filled with tobacco. During the night they are offered tea, and sometimes other refreshments in the form of intoxicants. At sometime during the night they all kneel down and the Rosary is said, different men saying the decades. There is always snuff for any old women who use it. The women always visit the wake room. At first they kneel down beside the corpse & pray. On rising they are offered a seat. Then the conversation goes on in low voice about the illness & death of the person. They remain for a considerate length of time, never shorter than an hour. When about to depart they kneel down beside the corpse & spend a short time in prayer. Some women bring wreaths(continues on next page)
- Informant
- Mrs Mason
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- 37
- Occupation
- Domestic worker
- Address
- Clonyhurk, Co. Offaly
