School: Coillíní
- Location:
- Killeen, Co. Mayo
- Teacher: Ss. Ó Roithleain
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0123, Page 206
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- XML “Wake and Funeral Customs”
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- In the ordinary country cottage it is usual for the corpse to be put 'overboard' in the bed in the outshot from the kitchen. The shroud is brown.
a small table is placed near the bed and an ODD number of lighted candles, usually 3. When the neighbours come into the corpse house, they kneel ans say a short prayer in the presence of the corpse; then they sympathise with the relatives, and sit on the seats provided around the kitchen wall. Each person is given a clay pipe filled with strong tobacco. When they get it they say "the Lord have mercy on the dead". As a mark of respect the men kindle the pipe and smoke it.
Those who have travelled some distance are given tea in the room, and usually a drop of whiskey.
The dead persons chief points are discussed-good points only- any dealing he had with the speaker-any famous deeds he had done.
The older people came during the day and evening, and at night the young men and girls ome to the wake. They must guess the time, unless they carry watches, as all clocks are stopped in a corpse house.
If the person dead is very old games are sometimes(continues on next page)
