68.
It was a custom in Ireland some years ago, that when a person died he was "waked" at home for a night or two .But fro the past twenty years the corpse is taken to the chapel a short time after death.
In this locality about twenty years ago ,a wake was in practice .A supply of drink and food was brought from town;(when the person died)also clay-pipes and tobacco ;and snuff .
About nightfall the friends and neighbours gathered into the "corpse -house".They at first went into the room in which the corpse was and said prayers for the dead .Six big candles were usually lit beside the bed in which the corpse was .
An hour or two later drink (porter or whiskey)was given to the men ,and clay -pipes to those who smoked. Tobacco was passed to those who had pipes;and each man took enough to fill his pipe.Tea and sweet-cake were given to the girls and wine to some of them.Snuff was given to the old people.
At some wakes it was impossible to have seats to accommodate all the people ,and very often dry hay or straw was thrown on the kitchen floor and young boys let lie on it.
For some time after the people coming