administering it to the thirsty souls of
purgatory. Fierce and desperate conflicts
have ensued in the case of two funeral
parties approaching the same churchyard
together, each endeavouring to secure to
his own dead priority of sepulture, and a
consequent immunity from the tax levied
upon the pedestrian powers of the last-
comer. An instance not long since
occurred, in which one of two such parties,
through fear of losing to their deceased
friend this inestimable advantage, made
their way to the churchyard by a short cut,
and, in violation of one of their strongest
prejudices, actually threw the coffin over
the wall, lest time should be lost in making
their entrance through the gate. Innumerable
instances of the same kind might be
quoted, all tending to show how strongly
among the peasantry of the south this
superstition is entertained. However, I
shall not detain the reader further by
any prefatory remarks, but shall proceed
to lay before him the following:

Extract from the MS. Papers of the late
Rev. Francis Purcell, of Drumcoolagh.


I tell the following particulars, as