School: Lúbán Díge (Bodyke)
- Location:
- Bodyke, Co. Clare
- Teacher: Bríd, Bean Uí Chadhla
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0591, Page 413
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- XML School: Lúbán Díge (Bodyke)
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- XML “Funeral Customs”
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- When a person dies in this parish - the friends are notified of the death. They are very "touchy "about this if not fulfilled. They would not go to the corpse house or funeral if no word was sent of the friend's death.
The corpse is left for at least three or four hours before it is touched after death. But the people of the house are very busy getting everything ready for the wake, corpse house. The man takes the measurements for the coffin and the order for the wake goods. These consist of tea, sugar, bread, jam. Barm braciks - tea & biscuits. Wine for the ladies. Porter, whiskey, pipes, and tobacco for men and snuff for the ladies.
The corpse is laid out in a brown habit with beads wound around the hands and a crucifix. The sheets - pillow case, counter pane being white linen. The room is clear of any surplus furniture only bed, chairs, and table for the brass candlesticks and 6 candles, five of which are lighted. No one knows why one is not lighted. A plate of snuff is laid in the middle of the candles.
The Rosary is recited where the Corpse is laid out and the friends come in and cry.
The neighbours come in - every person goes to the corpse room - prays - sympathies with the mourning. One of the family remains all the time in the C. room.
If the man of the house is dead, the widow remains and if the mother be dead - the eldest daughter is there to meet every one who comes into the room.
You get a chair and sit down and if you are offered, a glass of wine and a biscuit.(continues on next page)
