Yeah, that was exactly the part that struck me. You get lads off the council or on a CE scheme through the Local Area Development who’d do it this side.
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I’ve seen that happen plenty down our way. Lads would bring boots and all to throw on for filling in.
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Strange is the word I used but I was actually taken aback the first time. It seemed very cold and final and I thought it difficult for the bereaved. I’m not cribbing or saying it should be changed don’t get me wrong. But I find these things fascinating, the differences in tradition and ways.
I think it’s a nice tradition. Anyone who wants gets their chance to thrown in a few shovels. Digging the grave would be left to a pretty select few, so i think it’s good for other friends / family to get the opportunity to be involved if they want.
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Ah yea, when it was explained to me it’s admirable.
And of course as the main group of mourners drift away a bottle of Jameson usually magically appears from behind the wall for those left filling in.
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And two maybe 
Throw in a sliotar, or a tea pot, or a spanner, or knitting needles.
Some of the items I have seen go in.
Mikie Kelly had a gun thrun into his, allegedly.
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I’ve never heard of digging a grave but I’ve seen the Clare lads cover it in a few times. You’d be surprised how fast four able men would fill a grave.
On the digging, I’d be surprised if bystanders or family were slowed dig an already used grave. It could be fair upsetting when the last coffin is hit.
I’ve seen the bones of a previous burial bagged and thrown in again before refilling the grave. But the coffins nowadays take years to decay so that is not really a issue nowadays.
There’s nothing like a grave dig to bring out a few local winos looking for a free drop of the crathur
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Any keening?
Recycling a grave for the want of a better word would be commonplace on family plots but there is a method to it ie the age of the grave etc. And yes, in the instance I told there was upset and war broke out over it. No surprise with the client involved in making the mistake. The others should have known better.
No, the practice has died out it seems
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Normally you’d have one of the grave yard auld stocks who would remember where the last coffin in was placed and they’d work around that. It’s not an exact sciene though.
I remember being at a dig before and every now and again the caretaker would let out a shout “Cnámh”, “Cnámh eile”. They were all they set aside and then reburied in a corner of the grave once dug.
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Reminds me of the scene in Goodfellaa when the boys are digging up the body. ‘I gotta leg’ says Jimmy. ‘I gotta wing’ says Tommy
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We all took turns closing in our Grandfathers grave. It was back in the early 00’s and in East Limerick. Never saw it before nor since.
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Oola I think?
It happens a bit round those few parishes. Have not seen it so much in recent years
Yep. Buried in Monard as he was from that parish.