School: Naomh Eoin, Cill Choinnigh (roll number 1301)
- Location:
- Kilkenny, Co. Kilkenny
- Teacher: Bráthair Tomás Mac Binéid
![The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0856, Page 221](https://doras.gaois.ie/cbes/CBES_0856%2FCBES_0856_221.jpg?width=1600&quality=85)
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0856, Page 221
Image and data © National Folklore Collection, UCD.
See copyright details.
DownloadOpen data
Available under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
- XML School: Naomh Eoin, Cill Choinnigh
- XML Page 221
- XML “Burial”
Note: We will soon deprecate our XML Application Programming Interface and a new, comprehensive JSON API will be made available. Keep an eye on our website for further details.
On this page
- Burial.
When the grave has been dug in the cemetry the spade and shovel used in the digging operations are crossed somewhat in the form of the letter X, which form is termed St. Patrick's cross. The following explanation is given as the reason for this time honoured custom.
During the time that St. Patrick was preaching the true faith to the Irish people two men were making a grave in St. Maul's graveyard beside Gallows Green. When the work was in progress for a short time two men appeared at the other end of the grave and with daggers drawn threatened the lives of the unfortunate grave diggers. Jimmy Malone although "staggering on his feet" plucked up enough courage to ask what they wanted. "We want nothing less than your lives" said they "Unless you find out from St Patrick how(continues on next page)