The Wilmingtonian., 1824-05-06
From Researches II, the South Of Ireland.
NY i &. cnnEEi

BY ]. e. cnoKEf.
aAn Irish funeral procession will present to the |
English traveller very novel ap! singular aspect.
The coffin is carried on all open hearse, with a
canopy supported by four pillars, not unlike the |
car used at Lord Nelson's funrai it is adorned |
with several devices in gold, and drawn by four
horses and is, perhaps, NOR. impressive 10 the
beholder, than the close caraan-ike Conveyance
used in England but what IS gained in soem'
nifty by the principal feature, IS suddenly destroy
ed by the incongruity of tie rest Of the tram,
generally composed of a tw postchsses, the
drivers in their early costume OF long great
coat and slouched hat. In addition to these,
have seen gig in which ihe clergyman q ina.
ginc, by his being equipped in white scarf and
hat band) drove friend: nd afterwards came
crowd OF persons of all descriptions on foot. No
noise, no lamentations wereto be heard; but the
figure in the Aowing white scarf brandishing his
whip, gave it, at little distance, very much the
effect of an elcctoneeriyg procession.
"Ihe open hearse ia common throughout Ire
land, and that used hY the poorer classes becomes
perfectly gro,esque, rom tue barbarons pantinb
of saints and angels with which it is bedlzened
The concourse of persons who attend ths funeral
of an opuent farmer, or resident landlord, IS
prodigious. Not only those TO whom the deceas-
ed was known, bat every one who meets The
procession, turns 70 accompany 1t, lei his haste
be ever so great, for mile or two, as nothing IS
~SSoNheSu mOiC ehAoSnJS " N'i'~'N.J >,,~-
gect doing SO.
"The funeral Of a gentleman acknowledged as
the head of clan (now an event OF rare occur
renee, and almost solely confined to the county
Kerry is one of those sights it is impossible 10
behold without feeling sublime sensations. The
vast multitude, winding through some romantic
defle. or trailing along the base Of wild noun
tain, while the chorus of the death song, coming
ftfully upon the breeze, is raised by thousand
voices. On a closer view, the aged nurse is seen
sitting on the hearse beside the coffin, with her
body bent over it her actions dictated by the
most violent grief, and her head completely en-.
veloped in the deep hood OF her large CLOAK
which falls in broad and heavy folds. producing
altogether most mysterious and awful Inquire.
"Then at every crossroad, such roads being
considered symbolic of their faith, there IS gen.
eral halt; the men uncover their heads, and q
prayer is offered up for the soul Of their depalted
! chief
"The Irish funeral howl is notorious and al
though this vocifcrous expression OF grief is on
=, the decline, there is STILL in the less civilized
o parts OF the country, strong attachmens to the
custom, and many may yet be found who are
p keeners or mourners for the dead by profession
!, Having curiosity TO hear the Keen more
: distinctly sung than over corpse, when 1t is &C
. companed by "a wild and inarticulae uproar as 8
chorus, procured an elderly woman, who vai
. renowned for her skill in keening, to rccite fol
i name was Harrington. led wandering kind o.
life, travelling from cottage to cottage about the
country, and though in fact subsstlng on charity
y found every where not merely welcome, bu
+. had numerous invitations, on account OF the vas
store of Irish verses she had collected and coule
!. repeat. Her memory was indeed extraordinary
o and the clearness, quickness, and elegance with
wich she translated from the Irish into English
though unable to read OF write, is almost incredi
:, BILE. Before she commenced repeating, she mum
. bled for short time, probably the beginning o
each stanza to assure herself OF the arrangement
with her eyes closed, rocking her body backward
= and forwards as if keeping time to the measure
) of the verse. She then began in kind OF whin
ing rectitive, but as she proceeded and as th'
> composition required it, her voice assumed va
riety ofdeep and fine tones, and the energy witt
D which many passages were delivered, proved he
If perfect comprehension and strong feeling of thu
subject, but her eyes always continued shut, per
haps 10 prevent interruption to her thoughts, o
her attention being engaged by any surrounding
> object.
v "From several keens which I took down from
s. this womans dictation, have selected four ant
s. to each have attached short explanatory in
4. PRODUCTION. They will doubtless appear to th'
II English reader odd combinations of the sublime
). and vulgar.
u "Num5er IA keen composed on Sir Rich
? ard Cox, the historian who died in 1888; the frs
IS verse presents a curious picture OF Irish hosp
l. tality.
70 ".My love and darling, though never was i
i your kitchen, yet have heard An exact accoun
= Of it. The brown roast meat continually comin
from the fire; the black boilers continually boil
e and il even score Of men came in, no Perso