School: Mullagh (B)
- Location:
- Mullagh, Co. Cavan
- Teacher: James Drury
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1003, Page 121
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- XML “Funeral Customs”
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- When a person died the barn was cleared and the remains were 'laid out; or 'laid over board' and the wake held in this building.
The corpse, clothes in a brown habit was laid on a table covered with linen sheets while a tent was erected of sheets over all. On these sheets, laurel leaves were stitched in the form of crosses. On a table beside the tent lighted candles were kept burning. Pipes, tobacco and sometimes whiskey were distributed among those present.
If by any chance a grave had to be dug on Saturday - which was an unlucky day - a few sods were taken off the surface on Friday. This warded off the bad luck.
When the corpse was being taken away for burial, the chairs, stools +c in the house were overturned and left lying in disorder.
A short-cut to the graveyard should never be taken.
A person meeting a funeral on the road should turn back and proceed some distance with it. When a dead body does not develop rigor-mortis in the usual time it is a sign that some near relative of the deceased will soon die.
- Collector
- J. Drury
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Mullagh, Co. Cavan
