The ancient burial-place of the Cantillon family was on an island in
Ballyheigh Bay. This island was situated at no great distance from the
shore, and at a remote period was overflowed in one of the encroachments
which the Atlantic has made on that part of the coast of Kerry. The
fishermen declare they have often seen the ruined walls of an old chapel
beneath them in the water, as they sailed over the clear green sea of a
sunny afternoon. However this may be, it is well-known that the
Cantillons were, like most other Irish families, strongly attached to
their ancient burial-place; and this attachment led to the custom, when
any of the family died, of carrying the corpse to the seaside, where the
coffin was left on the shore within reach of the tide. In the morning it
had disappeared, being, as was traditionally believed, conveyed away by
the ancestors of the deceased to their family tomb.
Connor Crowe, a county Clare man, was related to the Cantillons by
marriage. "Connor Mac in Cruagh, of the seven quarters of Breintragh,"
as he was commonly called, and a proud man he was of the name. Connor,
be it known, would drink a quart of salt water, for its medicinal
virtues, before breakfast; and for the same reason, I suppose, double
that quantity of raw whiskey between breakfast and night, which last
he did with as little inconvenience to himself as any man in the
barony of Moyferta; and were I to add Clanderalaw and Ibrickan, I
don't think I should say wrong.
On the death of Florence Cantillon, Connor Crowe was determined to
satisfy himself about the truth of this story of the old church under
the sea: so when he heard the news of the old fellow's death, away
with him to Ardfert, where Flory was laid out in high style, and a
beautiful corpse he made.
Flory had been as jolly and as rollicking a boy in his day as ever was
stretched, and his wake was in every respect worthy of him. There was
all kind of entertainment, and all sort of diversion at it, and no
less than three girls got husbands there--more luck to them.
Everything was as it should be; all that side of the country, from
Dingle to Tarbert, was at the funeral. The Keen was sung long and
bitterly; and, according to the family custom, the coffin was carried
to Ballyheigh strand, where it was laid upon the shore, with a prayer
for the repose of the dead.
The mourners departed, one group after another, and at last Connor
Crowe was left alone. He then pulled out his whiskey bottle, his drop
of comfort, as he called it, which he required, being in grief; and
down he sat upon a big stone that was sheltered by a projecting rock,
and partly concealed from view, to await with patience the appearance
of the ghostly undertakers.
The evening came on mild and beautiful. He whistled an old air which
he had heard in his childhood, hoping to keep idle fears out of his
head; but the wild strain of that melody brought a thousand
recollections with it, which only made the twilight appear more pensive.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account