School: Termonfeckin
- Location:
- Tearmann Feichín, Co. Lú
- Teacher: Bean Uí Mhurchadha
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0675, Page 125
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- XML Page 125
- XML “Wake and Funeral Customs - Every Observance from Death Until Burial”
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- (continued from previous page)every man at the wake to smoke. Snuff was put on a small plate and every woman took a pinch of snuff and said when snuffing " the Lord have mercy on all the Souls of the Faithful departed."
The corpse was waked in the home for two nights. Before the second night the corpse was coffined and the lid only half on, so that the corpse could be seen until the coffin was closed. Each person said a prayer when entering and leaving the 'wake' house. Before the coffin was closed all the relatives were called to the bed side to say the "last goodbye." The coffin was laid outside the door on forms. The priest read prayers over the coffin here. When the coffin was lifted from the forms a person upset the forms and left them so until the funeral was gone.
The Church bell tolled for the funeral. The poor people long ago had no hearse and kind neighbours carried the coffin on a bier to the graveyard.(continues on next page)
