Death and dying timeline (rituals and practice)
Key Limerick Dates
People begin to look for help in disposal of their dead
Approx. 1800 - Approx. 1840Coffin Selling Cannocks
Approx. 1840 - Approx. 1970Mt. St. Lawrence Opens
Approx. 1841Cross's Funeral Directors Established
Approx. 1848Wakes in Homes Commonplace
Approx. 1850 - Approx. 1980St. Johns Cathedral built
Approx. 1859Coffin Selling McBirnleys Store
Approx. 1860 - Approx. 1940Griffins Funeral established Limerick
Approx. 1860Trade begins with transportation of bodies with horse
Approx. 1860Coffin Selling Todds
Approx. 1874 - Approx. 2002Carpenters, transportation begin to merge to one shop
Approx. 1890First Motor Car Registered
Approx. 1904Thompsons Funeral Directors Established
Approx. 1912Milford Hospice Opens
Approx. 1920Griffiths Funeral HOME
Approx. 1973Liquid Cremation
Approx. 2020RItuals and Traditions
Deceased wear shrouds
Approx. 1840 - Approx. 1960First rites around funerals observed
Approx. 1840Horse Hooves stamp out evil spirits following washing of body
Approx. 1840 - Approx. 1920Black Crépe hanged on door to signify death
Approx. 1850 - Approx. 1975occasionally seen today
Horses used with Hearses
Approx. 1850 - Approx. 1920Wake Tradition sitting with the body at all times
Approx. 1850 - Approx. 2015diminishing
Wake Traditions - opened window following death
Approx. 1850 - Approx. 2015this tradition is demising
Funerals become a profession
Approx. 1860First job of Funeral directors was to supply coffin and provide transport
Washing of bodies (neighbours)
Approx. 1860 - Approx. 1970Black Mourning diamonds worn for a year
Approx. 1865 - Approx. 1960Mirrors covered
Approx. 1900 - Approx. 2000Doors Closed when funeral passes in houses
Approx. 1950 - Approx. 1980Horses hooves painted black
Approx. 1950 - Approx. 1970walking behind coffin
Approx. 1950 - Approx. 2015Mainly just in centre of Limerick when under 2 miles to graveyard
Dead Door Knock (3 times when hearse passes)
Approx. 1960 - Approx. 1975Deceased Dressed in Sunday Best
Approx. 1960 - Approx. 2015Women wear black lace mantillas on their heads
Approx. 1960 - Approx. 1970Last Horses used in Funerals (commonplace)
Approx. 1963First Purpose built Funeral Home in Limerick
Approx. 1974Key is refrigerated storage rooms, embalming more commonplace
Radio Announcements on deaths
Approx. 1978 - Approx. 2015John Frawley on pirate radio reading from the paper
Hotels being used for 'afters'
Approx. 1990 - Approx. 2015Helium Balloons (children funerals)
Approx. 2000 - Approx. 2015Singing by the graveside
Approx. 2010 - Approx. 2015Is this because only religious songs can be sung in the mass?
Key Historical Dates
Penal Laws
Approx. 1695 - Approx. 1793Catholic Emancipation Act
Approx. 1829Cholera Epidemic
Approx. 1830Irish Famine
Approx. 1846 - Approx. 1849Prince Albert Dies - Queen Victoria goes into public mourning
Approx. 1861 - Approx. 1901World War 1
Approx. 1914 - Approx. 1918Irish War of Independence
Approx. 1919 - Approx. 1921Irish Free State Est
Approx. 1937World War II
Approx. 1939 - Approx. 1945First official Funeral Home Opened In Ireland (Cork)
Approx. 1967Recession
Approx. 1980 - Approx. 1990Celtic Tiger -
Approx. 1990 - Approx. 2005Recession in Ireland
Approx. 2006 - Approx. 2015Social Events
Rise of the middle classes
Approx. 1840 - Approx. 1912Up to world war 1