School: Druim Bréan Lios (roll number 15029)

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1. Funerals and Wakes in this Part of the Country 70 Years Ago (continued)

   

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   funeral charges. These consisted of tobacco, pipes and whiskey and a [?] Then the "caoiners" were sent for. These were women who were particularly good at the Irish "caoin". They charged some money for going a distance to "caoin". At the wake the "caoiners" caoined, the older people drank and the young people played games. One game was called "the nine daughters" another was called "the mulberry bush." They marched in and out playing these games. Songs were also sung, generally sad songs but the best singers were called on to sing.
   At the funeral the "caoiners" attended and caoined at certain places along the road to the graveyard and also in the graveyard.
   Every man at the funeral got a glass of whiskey or more. A large funeral cost a lot of money and no matter how poor the friends were the deceased had "to be buried decent" and poor people were often in

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   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

   Informant

   James Kiernan

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Drumbreanlis, Co. Leitrim