School: Killyconnan (B.)
- Location:
- Killyconnan, Co. Cavan
- Teacher: P. Kearney
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0979, Page 013
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- XML School: Killyconnan (B.)
- XML Page 013
- XML “Burying a Sheaf”
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- The old people living in this district dreaded the idea of a sheaf being buried for them. This custom was common in this parish (Lavey) until about thirty years ago. If a person felt he was seriously wronged in any way by a neighbour, he would bury a sheaf for the person who did the injury.
A sheaf of green oats was procured, and made into the shape of a human being. A pin was inserted in each "joint. The sheaf was then "waked" for three successive nights, three candles being kept burning beside it. It was then buried at the boundary between the town-land in which the person for whom the sheaf was being buried lived and the adjoining townland. When the sheaf began to decay, the person for whom it had been buried, grew ill suffering from severe pains in his joints. As the sheaf was rotting the person would fade away, and would(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Patrick Kearney
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Killyconnan, Co. Cavan
- Informant
- Mr Frank Murray
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 64
- Address
- Lavey, Co. Cavan
