School: Leamh-choill
- Location:
- Drumsillagh, Co. Roscommon
- Teacher: Cáit Ní Ghadhra
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0232, Page 118
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- XML “Wake and Funeral Customs”
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- When a person dies he is washed and 'laid out'. The shroud is usually brown and the bed is draped in white and black.Three candles are kept burning in the corpse room. Chairs are placed in the room and the people come in and pray and then sit for a short time or until another neighbour comes in.
Long ago it was the custom to have "decent" wakes. Tobacco, pipes, whiskey and porter were supplied to all and sundry. The neighbours sat up all night and when all were 'treated' the games began. Some one was called on to sing "The Bells of Shandon"" "Seán O'Farrell" "To work upon the Railway" "The Old Mail Coach" etc. Then the games started including "The Seven Daughters" and "Ratha" "eipín a coin" "The Ship Put Sailing" "The Hen". The seven daughters was a game where all locked arms and everyone had a "sugar" covered rod. The seven had to go out through the door and two men were behind the door beating them and preventing their getting out. If any spite existed the game became venomous and often resulted in quarreling.
"Ratha" was played with a leather strap. These games were not very polite. Mock courts were also held and evidence etc. given. Mock marriages were also common.
The clock in a corpse house was always stopped and the bed, chairs, etc. were turned over when the corpse left the house. A cat was not allowed into the corpse room. The funeral took place in the usual way but if there were gaps, it was a sign of another funeral to follow out of the same house.
