Lisa & Bob in Ireland: October 2001
Funeral of Barbara Samora Tucker
Saturday, October 27, 2001
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Saturday had us up bright and early for the mass. We went over to Tom's sister's, Eileen's, for a full Irish breakfast of sausage, bacon, eggs, bread, tomatoes. Eileen runs the gates for the local railroad, and the home is the family home that she, Tom and their siblings grew up in. It is quite lovely, with pretty gardens.
Eileen's home
When done, we took a drive up into the cemetery to see where Barbara would be buried. Despite the stormclouds yesterday, the weather was sunny, warm and beautiful. Barbara was working her magic. The spot she's in is perfect. It's on the hill, overlooking the pretty town, the rolling farmland, and even her own home and the stream.
The Cemetery
The Cemetery
The Cemetery
We arrived a the church a bit early to set the car up behind the hearse. I did try to get a few more pictures to show how pretty the church was. Again, the mosaics and stained glass stand out in my mind, as well as the beautiful, detailed pink flowers on the ceiling. It seemed that everywhere Barbara had pink flowers, both in her home in NY as well as in her home in Ireland. I thought she'd be pleased that the ceiling of the church had them for her.
The Church
The Church, looking back
Stained Glass
The mass itself was simply beautiful. I believe it was taped for those who want tapes. There was a male tenor and a female instrumentalist that made the *most* beautiful music I've heard. They sang and played traditional melodies, from Amazing Grace to other Irish and Catholic hymns. The mass itself was traditional and beautiful as well, with readings from the Bible from both the priest and family members. I felt truly immersed in the Irish culture, and knew Barbara would have loved it.
When it was over, the casket was brought out to the waiting hearse. I did try to take a short video of the procession moving through the beautiful streets of Millstreet, with the painted houses and cobblestones, but I don't think it worked very well. It was truly pretty, though.
Short MPG of Millstreet
We then went up into the cemetery. The men lowered her into the grave, and the musician played an incredibly lovely song on the fiddle. We then went back to the Inn in town for a lunch. It was a huge and delicious lunch, with around 75 of the friends and family sharing stories together.
The Lunch
The Inn
After that Bob and I walked home, to get some fresh air. The homes along the way were lovely, with lots of flowers and peat-smoke rising from the chimneys. The road was lined with hedgerows. It's only a short distance - down maybe half a mile on the main road, and then a right onto her road.
Corkery's on the Corner
Sparrows on a home
Millstreet Sign
We slept for a few hours at home, and then went over to Eileen's again with Tom for dinner. It was delicious, fresh meat and bread, tomatoes and lettuce. We watched the news and sports for a while, then headed back into town for one of our favorites, garlic mushrooms and onion rings fresh from the chipper truck. The bars were all going full-steam, but we left them for the night, and went home to sleep.
Main Page
Sunday, Oct 28th: Pictures of her home and favorite spots