School: Clochar na Trócaire, An Caisleán Riabhach

On this page

1. Local Wake and Funeral Customs (continued)

   

   Share Share Post

   (continued from previous page)

   and four men of the same name should take out the corpse. Neither was it reckoned right for the ashes to be removed from the house of the dead person or the clothes off the bed where the corpse was laid out for three days after the death.
   Loud cries were heard as the person was laid in the hearse for he was now about to be carried from his own home to which he would never return. Then the funeral procession started. After the hearse, which headed the procession, came the male relations of the dead person, followed by the women raltions seated in what was known as a mourning carriage. After all relations the general public came, some on foot, while others were seated comfortably on side-cars discussing the good and the bad points of the dead person.
   It was reckoned lucky if the rain fell on the funeral day as an old proverb says “Happy the bride the sun shines on, happy the corpse the rain rains on.” On the other hand if a person happened to fall in the graveyard on the funeral day, it was said that he should be next into it, unless he tasted the clay exactly where he fell.
   It was always customary in this district to take the longest route to the graveyard as an old Irish proverb is constantly recalled “An timcheall chun an teampuill is congar chun an Aifrinn.” When the coffin was laid in the grave a priest of the parish prayed over it

   (continues on next page)

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. activities
      1. social activities (~7)
         1. rites of passage (~573)
            1. death (~1,076)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Mary F. Doherty

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Ballindrumlea, Co. Roscommon

   Informant

   Mrs Mahon

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Cloonarragh, Co. Roscommon