“The
Priory of St. John’s near to Enniscorthy.
This
religious establishment was founded at St. John’s on the small river Urrin,
near to its junction with the Slaney, about one mile south of Enniscorthy, and
eleven N.W. of Wexford. …
In
this old grave yard was observed, until about a quarter of a century ago,
a burial custom of some families which
we have never heard of elsewhere. Three families in comfortable circumstances,
of the names of Tracy, Doyle and Daly, with others their immediate connections
buried their dead without coffins. The body being brought in a well made coffin
to the edge of the grave, the friends assembled around, and the body, the face
for a moment being uncovered in order that they might take the last look at the
lamented departed, was laid in the grave, previously prepared with great care.
The grave was made more than six feet deep, and at each end a course of stone
work, without mortar, was raised full two feet high. Much attention was given
to the providing of tough green sods, cut about seven feet long and about two
wide, from the alluvial banks of the Slaney, several of which being rolled up
close by, were conveyed to the graveyard, and the grave then neatly lined with
them from top to bottom, a smooth one covering it perfectly below. The grave
thus presented a smooth green appearance, dry grass and moss were strewn
thickly in it, and a pillow of the same raised the head, as it were in bed. The
corpse in its ample winding sheet, was then removed from the coffin, and laid
in the grave – a stout plank or two, then placed lengthwise from the stonework
at head and foot, and not in contact with the body, and the green sods, the
grass turning downwards, carefully folded over all. The grave was then filled
in the usual manner, and covered with the ordinary green sod, and the coffin
was left for the use of the first poor person who might require it. No coiming
was ever practiced beyond the suppressed working of natural grief. The last
ceremony of this kind which took place
here, was at the funeral of John Doyle of Craan, but his family, and the others
who up to that time were strict observers of it, have since conformed to the
practice of their neighbours, and now bury in coffins. No reason has come down
in local story, of the origin of the custom.”
Wexford Independent
of May 3, 1856, page 1.
“Burial
without Coffins. -- correspondent of “Notes and Queries” (London), June 7th,
1856, page 455, who signed himself “E.C., Wexford,” wrote as follows :
“I beg to say that here the fact (of
burying without coffins) although now totally obsolete, is known to have
existed. In the Barony of Forth, the celebrated Anglo-Norman
colony planted in the days of Strongbow, is situated the Church of Lady's Isle, formerly the
Lough Derg of the South of Ireland, as a
pilgrimage, and therefore frequented from all parts. I have heard from
credit-worthy persons in my early
days that they remembered bodies having been brought from great distances to be
buried there, who had made it a dying request to be buried in the Lady's Isle
without a coffin, the coffin to be left in the ruins of the old church
for the use of the first person requiring one. This was always looked on by the
people of the locality as an act of humiliation and devotion on the part of the
deceased, but was not a general custom, nor is it in tradition as having ever
been imitated in any of the
burial places of the Barony.
“In
the graveyard of the Augustinian Abbey of St. John, near Enniscorthy, in the Barony of Scarawalsh, I learn that the
following custom of burial was observed until about the year 1818, by certain
families, named Tracey and their connexions, the Doyles, the Dalys, and others,
of the townland of Croan and adjoining. The body being brought to the graveyard
in a well made coffin, the
friends assembled around, and the face was uncovered in order that they might
take a farewell look at the loved departed. The body was then taken from the
coffin and laid in the grave with great care, and at each end was raised a course
of stone work, without mortar, 18 or 30 inches high, according to circumstances. Much attention was paid to
providing tough green sods cut from the adjoining alluvial bank of the river
Slaney, and several of them about 7 feet long and 2 wide, each being well rolled up were conveyed to the
graveyard, and with
them the grave
was carefully and neatly lined from bottom to top, one the head of the grave
being laid lengthwise over the ends of the others. In this green chamber was
strewn moss in the season, dry grass and flowers, and a pillow of the same
supported the head of the corpse when laid on this its last earthly bed. One or
more stout plants were then placed longitudinally and, the green sods of the
sides turned over and downwards, completed all but the filling in the usual way
with the clay. The mound being covered with the original green sods of the
grave prayers were said without any keening or any wailing but the feeling what
natural grief gave utterance to. A particular solemnity is said
to have marked every occasion of this kind.
“The
last person at whose funeral this form was observed was named John Doyle, who
was a bachelor, but all his friends since have conformed to the custom of the
neighbourhood, and use coffins. J.C.”
Journal of the South-East of Ireland
Archaeological Society Volune 15
“Down to about half a century since, the families of
Tracy, Doyle and Daly, with their connexions, whose burial-place was the
graveyard of the Prioy of St. John, about a mile south of Enniscorthy, in the
county of Wexford, buried their dead without coffins: the corpse being brought
to the grave in a well-made coffin, and
the grave being carefully lined with fresh green sods, the body, wrapped solely
in its winding-sheet, was placed therin, the head being supported by a pillow
of dried grass and moss; more sods, supported by planks, were placed over it,
with the grassy side down, and the grave was then filled in as usual. – See
“Wexford Independent” of May 3, 1856.”
Urban, Sylvanus
(1857) The Gentleman’s Magazine and Historical Review. Vol III. P.608n. John
Henry & James Parker, London.
“Singular Burial Custom near Enniscorthy
In
the grave-yard of the old Priory Church of St. John, near Enniscorthy
(Kilcarberry) was observed, until about 1825, a singular burial custom, rarely,
if ever met elsewhere. Three families in comfortable circumstances, named
Tracey, Doyle and Daly, with others their connections buried their dead here
without coffins. The bodies being brought in a well made coffin to the edge of
the grave, the friends assembled around, and the body - the face for a few
moments being uncovered in order to take their last look at the lamented
departed was laid in the grave, previously prepared with great care. The grave
was made more than six feet deep and long to suit the purpose – and at each end
a course of stone-work, without mortar, was raised over two feet high. Much
care was given to providing a tough green sod, cut about seven feet long, and
about two wide, from the alluvial banks of the Slaney. Several of these being
rolled up, were conveyed to the grave-yard, and the grave then neatly lined
with them and covering the bottom. The grave thus presented a smooth green
appearance – dry grass and some flowers were strewn thickly in it, and a pillow
of the same raised the head as it were in bed. The corpse in its simple, but
ample winding-sheet, was then removed from the coffin, and laid in its last
resting place, the grave – a stout plank or two was then placed length-ways
from the stonework at head and foot, but not touching the body, and the green
sods, the grass downwards, carefully folded over all. The grave was then filled
in the usual manner, and covered with the ordinary green sod, whilst the coffin
was left for the use of the first poor person who might require it. No ‘coinin’
was ever practiced, or lamination beyond the suppression of the workings of
natural grief. The last ceremony of this kind we can hear of having taken place
here, was at the funeral of John Doyle of Craan, but since this time his family
and the others who had observed their custom, have conformed to the forms and
usages of their neighbours, and bury in coffins. No tradition of the origin of
the custom now survives.”
Griffiths, George
(1877) The chronicles of the county of Wexford to 1877, Enniscorthy.