Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 4 days ago
This interview was recorded by Michael Fortune with Funeral Director Sean Condon in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary in Sept. 2024. It was recorded for the Tipperary Museum of Hidden History as part of a research exhibition organised by curator Jayne Sutcliffe around death and funeral customs in Tipperary.
.................................................................
00:00 - Introduction. Sean’s grandfather started the business in 1912.
2:14 - He recalls a story of The Black Flu in Clonmel in 1918 as told by his grandfather. He had 7 deaths in one day. T
3:12 - There were 7 or 8 undertakers in the town around 1918.
3:49 - He went into the workshop making coffins with his grandfather at 15. H
5:26 - He said his grandfather had a 1920 Humber car where they’d tie the coffin onto the back of it.
6:26 - He recalls how there were no funeral homes back then and some people went to the hospital.
6:58 - He talks about a gravedigger out in the Nire.
7:33 - Most of their funerals were out the country - mostly in the Nire.
8:43 - Going to Dungarvan to bring home a body from the home.
9:12 - He talks about stopping at the house if the body was coming home from the hospital.
9:35 - The story of Cromwell and funerals in Fethard
10:23 - He recalls how on the road to Ballymacarbry there were 3 people killed.
10:43 - He remembers people shovelling in the grave when the people were there. H
12:37 - The family and neighbours digging the graves.
13:44 - Put the shovels in the shape of the sign of the cross on the grave when it’d be half filled in.
14:09 - He talks about when the undertakers would find bones when they’d be digging a grave, they’d put them in a bag and bury them before the grave was filled in again.
14:39 - Graves were all hand dug in the past. The new graves go down 9 foot these days, he says. 3 coffins in the one grave at 9, 7 and 5 feet.
15:00 - Slight differences in Catholic and Church of Ireland funerals.
15;15 - How funerals have changed.
16:04 - He doesn’t remember the wakes at homes years ago.
16:45 - Their funeral home opened in 1980.
19:48 - When asked again he says he remembers wakes in the homes and going to one or two. T
20:13 - The wakes. Drinks and games.
22:19 - Michael asks about snuff at a wake or pipes. He didn’t see them.
22:34 - Michael asks about lads stringing up the corpse at a wake. The dead body would sit up in the bed and frighten the people there.
23:03 - He recalls hearing about women paid to cry at the funeral. Keeners.
23:50 - “A special woman to lay out a corspe”. This was before embalming. She was a “handy woman” or a midwife. He says the embalming is great.
24:55 - He remembers “giving days putting pitch in coffins”. This had to be done to catch any liquid that might have leaked from the corpse.
25:42 - They started to do the embalming in 1984/85. They have embalmers who do it for them.
26:16 - Class divides at funerals.
The 10 kerfs would be American oak and need more work to bend.
28:17 - Tells of a story of a day he never forgot and buying timber for the coffin. It lashed down.
29:07 He recites the little verse "happy is the corpse the rain falls on”.
29:50 - High Masses. He tells a funny story regarding the payment
30:34 - Talks about Paupers and Paupers coffins. He said he’d always be weary of the feelings of those who said they wanted the best. They'd never pay you.
31:22 - Talks of the records his grandfather kept.
31:52 - Postage stamp used on the receipt of the undertakers.
32:43 - Talks about people who’d be paying off for their funeral before they’d die. Always paying off a bit. He talks about giving away a grave to someone who didn't have the money.
34:14 - He tells a story of a woman who was abandoned by her husband when expecting. It appears the baby died and his grandfather would never take money from a woman in this situation.
35:21 - He talks about undertakers being “caught for money” i.e. people don’t pay their bills.
34:48 - Talks about how people react to death.
36:12 - Michael asks if we are good at funerals in Ireland. He tells a story of visiting undertakers in England and how different they are.
37:22 - People turn off lights when a funeral passes. He says those traditions are not gone.
38:15 - Michael asks if cars stop anymore for a funeral cortege. He says they don’t and everyone is in a hurry now but going nowhere.
39:43 - He talks about a section of the graveyard in St. Patrick’s that is unmarked but completely full up from people from the local hospital and home.
43:10 - He talks about a special coffin that was used.
44:40 - Michael asked about little babies being buried outside of the graveyards. He tells a story of a woman who got a coffin.
45:49 - Talks about his grandfather and father when they died.
48:17 - He tells us he only got a pound a week when he started working.
48:48 - He talks about his father and how he only ever went on one holiday.
49:39 - He passed the business onto his daughter Sinead.
This interview was recorded by Michael Fortune with Funeral Director Sean Condon in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary in Sept. 2024. It was recorded for the Tipperary Museum of Hidden History as part of a research exhibition organised by curator Jayne Sutcliffe around death and funeral customs in Tipperary.
.................................................................
00:00 - Introduction. Sean’s grandfather started the business in 1912.
2:14 - He recalls a story of The Black Flu in Clonmel in 1918 as told by his grandfather. He had 7 deaths in one day. T
3:12 - There were 7 or 8 undertakers in the town around 1918.
3:49 - He went into the workshop making coffins with his grandfather at 15. H
5:26 - He said his grandfather had a 1920 Humber car where they’d tie the coffin onto the back of it.
6:26 - He recalls how there were no funeral homes back then and some people went to the hospital.
6:58 - He talks about a gravedigger out in the Nire.
7:33 - Most of their funerals were out the country - mostly in the Nire.
8:43 - Going to Dungarvan to bring home a body from the home.
9:12 - He talks about stopping at the house if the body was coming home from the hospital.
9:35 - The story of Cromwell and funerals in Fethard
10:23 - He recalls how on the road to Ballymacarbry there were 3 people killed.
10:43 - He remembers people shovelling in the grave when the people were there. H
12:37 - The family and neighbours digging the graves.
13:44 - Put the shovels in the shape of the sign of the cross on the grave when it’d be half filled in.
14:09 - He talks about when the undertakers would find bones when they’d be digging a grave, they’d put them in a bag and bury them before the grave was filled in again.
14:39 - Graves were all hand dug in the past. The new graves go down 9 foot these days, he says. 3 coffins in the one grave at 9, 7 and 5 feet.
15:00 - Slight differences in Catholic and Church of Ireland funerals.
15;15 - How funerals have changed.
16:04 - He doesn’t remember the wakes at homes years ago.
16:45 - Their funeral home opened in 1980.
19:48 - When asked again he says he remembers wakes in the homes and going to one or two. T
20:13 - The wakes. Drinks and games.
22:19 - Michael asks about snuff at a wake or pipes. He didn’t see them.
22:34 - Michael asks about lads stringing up the corpse at a wake. The dead body would sit up in the bed and frighten the people there.
23:03 - He recalls hearing about women paid to cry at the funeral. Keeners.
23:50 - “A special woman to lay out a corspe”. This was before embalming. She was a “handy woman” or a midwife. He says the embalming is great.
24:55 - He remembers “giving days putting pitch in coffins”. This had to be done to catch any liquid that might have leaked from the corpse.
25:42 - They started to do the embalming in 1984/85. They have embalmers who do it for them.
26:16 - Class divides at funerals.
The 10 kerfs would be American oak and need more work to bend.
28:17 - Tells of a story of a day he never forgot and buying timber for the coffin. It lashed down.
29:07 He recites the little verse "happy is the corpse the rain falls on”.
29:50 - High Masses. He tells a funny story regarding the payment
30:34 - Talks about Paupers and Paupers coffins. He said he’d always be weary of the feelings of those who said they wanted the best. They'd never pay you.
31:22 - Talks of the records his grandfather kept.
31:52 - Postage stamp used on the receipt of the undertakers.
32:43 - Talks about people who’d be paying off for their funeral before they’d die. Always paying off a bit. He talks about giving away a grave to someone who didn't have the money.
34:14 - He tells a story of a woman who was abandoned by her husband when expecting. It appears the baby died and his grandfather would never take money from a woman in this situation.
35:21 - He talks about undertakers being “caught for money” i.e. people don’t pay their bills.
34:48 - Talks about how people react to death.
36:12 - Michael asks if we are good at funerals in Ireland. He tells a story of visiting undertakers in England and how different they are.
37:22 - People turn off lights when a funeral passes. He says those traditions are not gone.
38:15 - Michael asks if cars stop anymore for a funeral cortege. He says they don’t and everyone is in a hurry now but going nowhere.
39:43 - He talks about a section of the graveyard in St. Patrick’s that is unmarked but completely full up from people from the local hospital and home.
43:10 - He talks about a special coffin that was used.
44:40 - Michael asked about little babies being buried outside of the graveyards. He tells a story of a woman who got a coffin.
45:49 - Talks about his grandfather and father when they died.
48:17 - He tells us he only got a pound a week when he started working.
48:48 - He talks about his father and how he only ever went on one holiday.
49:39 - He passed the business onto his daughter Sinead.
