Identifier: irishmemories00some (find matches)
Title: Irish memories
Year: 1919 (1910s)
Authors: Somerville, E. . (Edith none), 1858-1949
Subjects: Ross, Martin, 1862-1915 Martin, Violet Florence, 1865-1915 Ireland -- Social life and customs
Publisher: New York : Longmans, Green and Co.
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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ove agraveyard that is probably of an equal age with it.The graveyard lies on the shore, under the lee ofthat castle that stood the bombardment from QueenElizabeths sea captains ; the sea has made more thanone sally to invade the precincts, but the protectingsea wall, though it has been undermined and sometimesthrown down, has not, so far, failed of its office. Itis considered a good and fortunate place to be buriedin. All my people lie there, and I think there shouldbe luck for those who lie in a place of such ancientsanctity. It is held that the last person who is buriedin it has to keep the graveyard in order, and—in whatway is not specified—to attend to the wants of hisneighbours. I can well remember seeing a racebetween two funerals, as to which should get theircandidate to the graveyard first. A very steep andwinding lane leads down to the sea, and down it thun-dered the carts with the coffins, and their followingcorteges. In the next parish to Castle Haven there is a grave-
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aif) n wso c/) I i FAITH AND FAIRIES 185 yard lonelier even than that of Saint Barrahane.Like most of the ancient burial places it is situatedclose to the sea, probably to permit of the funeralstaking place by boat, in times when roads hardlyexisted. There, at the top of the cliffs, among theruins of a church, and among the dreadful wreck oftombs too old even for tradition to whisper whoseonce they were, there took place, not long ago, thefuneral of a certain woman, who was well known andwell loved. I was told of an old beggar-woman whowalked many miles to see the last of a friend. * She rose early, and she hasted, and she was atthe gate of the graveyard when the funeral wascoming, another woman told me ; an when sheseen them, and they carrying in the corpse, she letthe owld cloak back from her. And when she seenthe corpse pass her, she threw up the hands, and saysshe, * That your journey may thrive wid ye I That journey that we think to be so long and darkand diffic

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