School: Cnoc na Groighe (B.), Ráth Mhór

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1. Death (continued)

   

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   pillow on which the head rested, upside down. They also turned the mattress and sheets likewise. This custom still prevails and is done with the idea of taking sickness and death from the family.
   NOTE - the inverting of the pillow, etc, never caused any friction among families - it was looked upon as a good act for the general welfare - not so, with the turning of the bed or the door on which the corpse laid and which has been described in detail by my friend Mr. Ned Buckley of Knocknagree The door was turned UP-SIDE DOWN if a door was used - but turning it the other way around meant a completely different motive - a treacherous one - .
   2
   The house was never locked after the funeral had left Some persons always stayed behind. The idea was that the soul or spirit of the dead person might want something or might wish to have another look about the house.
   3
   It was a common custom to place the corpse when "laid out", in such a position that the feet were towards the place were the burial was to take place. If that was inconvenient the feet were in the direction the

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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

   Collector

   Díarmuid Ó Múimhneacháin

   Gender

   Male

   Occupation

   Príomhoide