Death and dying timeline (rituals and practice)

Key Limerick Dates

People begin to look for help in disposal of their dead

Approx. 1800 - Approx. 1840

Coffin Selling Cannocks

Approx. 1840 - Approx. 1970

Mt. St. Lawrence Opens

Approx. 1841

Cross's Funeral Directors Established

Approx. 1848

Wakes in Homes Commonplace

Approx. 1850 - Approx. 1980

St. Johns Cathedral built

Approx. 1859

Coffin Selling McBirnleys Store

Approx. 1860 - Approx. 1940

Griffins Funeral established Limerick

Approx. 1860

Trade begins with transportation of bodies with horse

Approx. 1860

Coffin Selling Todds

Approx. 1874 - Approx. 2002

Carpenters, transportation begin to merge to one shop

Approx. 1890

First Motor Car Registered

Approx. 1904

Thompsons Funeral Directors Established

Approx. 1912

Milford Hospice Opens

Approx. 1920

Griffiths Funeral HOME

Approx. 1973

Liquid Cremation

Approx. 2020

RItuals and Traditions

Deceased wear shrouds

Approx. 1840 - Approx. 1960

First rites around funerals observed

Approx. 1840

Horse Hooves stamp out evil spirits following washing of body

Approx. 1840 - Approx. 1920

Black Crépe hanged on door to signify death

Approx. 1850 - Approx. 1975

occasionally seen today

Horses used with Hearses

Approx. 1850 - Approx. 1920

Wake Tradition sitting with the body at all times

Approx. 1850 - Approx. 2015

diminishing

Wake Traditions - opened window following death

Approx. 1850 - Approx. 2015

this tradition is demising

Funerals become a profession

Approx. 1860

First job of Funeral directors was to supply coffin and provide transport

Washing of bodies (neighbours)

Approx. 1860 - Approx. 1970

Black Mourning diamonds worn for a year

Approx. 1865 - Approx. 1960

Mirrors covered

Approx. 1900 - Approx. 2000

Doors Closed when funeral passes in houses

Approx. 1950 - Approx. 1980

Horses hooves painted black

Approx. 1950 - Approx. 1970

walking behind coffin

Approx. 1950 - Approx. 2015

Mainly just in centre of Limerick when under 2 miles to graveyard

Dead Door Knock (3 times when hearse passes)

Approx. 1960 - Approx. 1975

Deceased Dressed in Sunday Best

Approx. 1960 - Approx. 2015

Women wear black lace mantillas on their heads

Approx. 1960 - Approx. 1970

Last Horses used in Funerals (commonplace)

Approx. 1963

First Purpose built Funeral Home in Limerick

Approx. 1974

Key is refrigerated storage rooms, embalming more commonplace

Radio Announcements on deaths

Approx. 1978 - Approx. 2015

John Frawley on pirate radio reading from the paper

Hotels being used for 'afters'

Approx. 1990 - Approx. 2015

Helium Balloons (children funerals)

Approx. 2000 - Approx. 2015

Singing by the graveside

Approx. 2010 - Approx. 2015

Is this because only religious songs can be sung in the mass?

Key Historical Dates

Penal Laws

Approx. 1695 - Approx. 1793

Catholic Emancipation Act

Approx. 1829

Cholera Epidemic

Approx. 1830

Irish Famine

Approx. 1846 - Approx. 1849

Prince Albert Dies - Queen Victoria goes into public mourning

Approx. 1861 - Approx. 1901

World War 1

Approx. 1914 - Approx. 1918

Irish War of Independence

Approx. 1919 - Approx. 1921

Irish Free State Est

Approx. 1937

World War II

Approx. 1939 - Approx. 1945

First official Funeral Home Opened In Ireland (Cork)

Approx. 1967

Recession

Approx. 1980 - Approx. 1990

Celtic Tiger -

Approx. 1990 - Approx. 2005

Recession in Ireland

Approx. 2006 - Approx. 2015

Social Events

Rise of the middle classes

Approx. 1840 - Approx. 1912

Up to world war 1

Graveyards moved to periphery of towns

Approx. 1880

Drink Driving laws introduced

Approx. 2006

Progression in Undertaking Deaths

People mainly buried in mass graves

Approx. 1700 - Approx. 1850

Paupers Graves from Famine established

Approx. 1841

Traditional Irish Funerals carried out by the people

Approx. 1850 - Approx. 1970

Burial Records Begin

Approx. 1855

Public Health Ireland Est. (Burial rites)

Approx. 1878

Evidence of Embalming for the uppercases

Approx. 1925

First Crematorium opens in Ireland (Belfast)

Approx. 1961

Embalming common place

Approx. 1980

Glasnevin Crematorium opens

Approx. 1982

Death by Internet begins

Approx. 2000

Cork Crematory opens

Approx. 2006

Online Funeral planning

Approx. 2014
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