School: Loughteague, Stradbally (roll number 6129)
- Location:
- Loughteeog, Co. Laois
- Teachers: Brigid Keane Brighid Ní Chatháin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0837, Page 160
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- You should always throw out water used for washing feet unless it is after 10 p.m. then you should put a live coal of fire into the foot-water and leave it inside.
The water and soap used for washing corpse should be thrown away where no one could walk on them.
The razor and strop used for shaving corpse should be given to the person who has done the shaving.
There is no rule in Laoighis about the clothes of the deceased. Some are kept by the family and worn; some are given away to a poorer neighbour.
People don't light fire in the wake-room however cold the room may be.
After death the corpse is left untouched for a couple of hours. Then a couple of women relatives or neighbours prepare it for the wake. The body is washed, robed in a night-gown or shirt, brown Carmelite habit put on outside this; bedclothes and in some uses even the mattress is taken off the bed, the bed is covered with a white sheet, corpse placed on it another sheet across that, bolster or pillow under head, a white bedspread over covering the body except head and shoulders. The hands are clasped holding beads, crucifix, etc and lie outside on the spread. The hood of the habit is not put on till the corpse is being put in coffin. The linen used is all of the best available - borrowed from some neighbour if not belonging to the house.(continues on next page)
