Death in Ireland Today

A funeral procession

A funeral procession in Dublin, the mourners walk behind the funeral car.

Copyright of The Irish Times

A funeral procession
Copyright of The Irish Times

A funeral procession

A funeral procession in Dublin, the mourners walk behind the funeral car.

Copyright of The Irish Times

Enlarge image

Wakes, a type of funeral rite, are still popular around Ireland, although rare in Dublin. The corpse is laid out in the family home for a number of days, with neighbours, friends and relatives visiting to pay their respects. Wakes were once very raucous affairs, full of laughter, games and horseplay. Food, alcohol, especially whiskey and poteen, tea and tobacco were provided for guests. The procedure when entering a wake house has changed little; a visitor should make their way to the body, kneel down, say a few prayers (or, if not religious, perhaps sit in contemplative silence), express sympathy and then move away.

One of Ireland’s earliest folklore collectors, Thomas Crofton Croker, writing in the early part of the 19th century, noted that wakes were “a scene of merriment rather than of mourning.” Storytelling and games were common, as was laughter, singing, and dancing. There are several accounts of the corpse being taken out of the coffin and playfully danced around the room.

Clerical opposition to the wakes was consistent. A synod in 4th century France called on the singing and dancing associated with funerals to be stamped out, and various synods up until the 20th century tried, with only some success, to stamp out the wake customs.

Today, death is more widely handled at somewhat of a remove. People are more likely to die in hospital or a hospice than at home, which is followed by a removal to church, and then a funeral. Nonetheless, there are a number of traditions associated with death, which can sometimes clash with church orthodoxy. Eulogising the dead, along with reciting favourite poems or playing favourite songs, can lead to conflict between the church and the families.

The growth of secularisation in the Western world has not blunted the desire for ritual. Many baptised Catholics who generally do not attend mass will still have their christenings, weddings and funerals in church. Non-religious, Humanist funerals can be held to mark a person’s death, while secular weddings are equally marked by tradition.