School: Curratavy
- Location:
- Corratawy, Co. Cavan
- Teacher: E. Ó Gallchobhair
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0964, Page 031
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- The customs of our day are different to the customs of our fore fathers. As regards funerals and wakes when a person died he would be wake for two nights. During these two nights a crowd of men and women would gather to the nice people of the house would give them tea, tobacco, generally snuff and whiskey. As whiskey was cheap in those days. Then they would play games such as the night, “nine daughters” putting a cabe on the big coat “wrestling the Connaughtnan” and so on.
They would also play tricks with cards. Then they would recite rhymes which had to be said so many times without drawing their breath and whoever was the best at this was supposed to live the longest. When all would be gathered in they would say a long rosary for the dead person. When the cock would crow they would all go home. Some of them would go before twelve o’clock and all that would remain on would not go until after the cock would no as it was considered unlucky.
I heard of one man who left a wake alone after twelve o’clock and on his way home he met the man that was dead. Then on the day of the burial the men and women(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Seosainn Ní Giolla Padraigh
- Gender
- Female
