The Customs at a Wake

Clonfert, Co. Galway

When a person dies in a house the Clock is stopped. Two certain women in the parish are brought to lay out the person. The man who shaves the dead man brings the razor with him. The two people who lay out the person will wash their hands and face in wine or whiskey. The water in which the corpse is washed is put under a shady tree. The man who strips the other, man brings some part of his clothes with him. At the wake, all the people get clay pipes and tobacco to smoke. When they have smoked some, people break them on their knee, but others take them home with them. Each person who goes to the corpse house gets tea.

Collector: Eilish Reilly, Clonfert, Co. Galway

Informant: Unknown

Place: Clonfert

Footnote: Duchas, http://www.duchas.ie

This page was added on 16/05/2017.

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