Month’s Mind

Posted by:glenmore.history | April 17, 2021

There is a lovely tradition in Ireland, particularly rural Ireland, called the month’s mind. A month after a person’s death a Requiem Mass is celebrated in memory of the deceased. Generally, the family of the deceased and close friends will attend the mass and will then share a meal or refreshments where the life of the deceased is celebrated. What most people today do not realize is that the month’s mind tradition is of ancient origin. In medieval England, the Venerable Bede (672-735) noted that the “minding days” were of great antiquity at that time and originated from the Norse minne, or ceremonial drinking to the dead.

Ireland is the only country where the month’s mind tradition is still widely practiced although there are still a few locations in England where it is said to survive. Further afield efforts have been undertaken to introduce the month’s mind. For example, in January 2015, Monsignor David Cassato, Chaplain of the New York Police Department at St. Athanasius Church, of Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, New York, offered a Month’s Mind Mass to mark the one-month anniversary of the assassination of two local police officers. Monsignor Cassato explained, “In the Roman Catholic Church, a Month’s Mind Mass is really a big deal because it comes a month after the initial shock and grief of death. It is a time to honor the dead with prayers, a time to hope that their lives and deaths will have a lasting meaning…” (The Tablet, 22 January 2015).

Today, we celebrate and commemorate the life of our local historian, Danny Dowling and commit ourselves to preserve, present and continue his life’s work. For many this might simply involve the oral tradition of the passing down of family information or stories to the next generation, the sharing of local knowledge, or the keeping of local traditions. Pat Dowling shared a number of photos of his father for this pictorial month’s mind. Pat said that there aren’t as many photos of Danny as other family members because Danny was usually the person behind the camera. If readers have any photos or memories of Danny that they would like to share please forward them to glenmore.history@gmail.com.

Further below are photos sent by the East Wall History Group depicting the commemoration ceremony held last Sunday to mark the 100^th anniversary of Peter Freyne’s death who was killed in action while attacking the London, North Western Railway Hotel (North Wall) Dublin. I think Danny would have been happy that Peter Freyne’s sacrifice has not been forgotten and was commemorated notwithstanding the scourge of COVID.

Danny Dowling (15 February 1927-17 March 2021)

Danny (centre) at work with co-workers Jerry Forrest, of Slieverue (on right) & Dick Redmond, of Waterford (on left)

The Laying of a Wreath in memory of Peter Freyne (1903-1921) by the East Wall History Group on 11 April 2021

Due to COVID the commemoration was small. Four volunteers held a small boat parade. For further information concerning the attack on the L.N.W.R. Hotel on the 11th of April 1921, during the Irish War of Independence, see, https://glenmore-history.com/teenage-volunteers-in-the-war-of-independence-the-freyne-brothers-of-kilcullen-thomastown/.