Volume: CBÉ 0407 (Part 2)

On this page

1. Funeral Games

   

   Share Share Post

   My second last experience [I won't describe my last experience as on that occasion I made most of the fun myself. At least when I inclined to go home at 3.a.m the girls wouldn't let me, declaring. "If you go, we'll have no fun".]
   (1915) The mother of one of our most respectable residents died. He had large shop and was member of the Co Council to boot. To carry out funeral games without annoying or disturbing the genuine mourners, a large house is necessary. This man has a very large house.
   At eleven o'clock p.m., sharp all was set and ready for the 'Court'. Petty sessions used to be held in Cappawhite every fortnight with Scott, Hand, etc on the bench and the players knew their rôles to perfection from participating in the court as litigants or from attending as sight-seers. The magistrates donned their robes and sat on the bench. The counsel got busy. Prisoner brought in. Policeman gave evidence of having served on him true copy of summons etc, etc. Everything was done to perfection and with a solemnity that would put to shame many a forensic show in real life . The court occupied over 2 hours. Sentence and prison led away to serve his sentence. This practise was very common at wakes until recently (until greed for drink predominated all else).

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Item type

   Lore

   Language

   Irish

   Writing mode

   Handwritten

   Writing script

   Gaelic script