Death is a cornerstone of all cultures and communities; mourning our deceased is something that unites us all. In Irish funeral traditions, the wake has spanned the years, and continues to be common practice amongst many Irish households today. It’s a touching way of honoring the lifestyles of a departed family member, bringing comfort and solace to those that may not have a chance to say their last farewell. Here, we’re going to provide you with a brief outline of the various rituals and traditions associated with the Irish wake and the different customs between urban and rural communities.
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Watching Over the Deceased and Keening
Keening was one of our older traditions, According to custom, crying couldn’t begin until after the body was prepared, for fear of attracting evil spirits that could take the soul of the departed. As soon as the body becomes prepared, the keening began. The Caointhe, the lead keener, becomes first to lament the deceased. Keeners, specifically the Caointhe, recited poetry lamenting the passing of the loved one, while continuing crying and wailing. All the women of the house joined the ritual. While a lot has changed regarding the preparation of the body and the way we currently watch over it, some old customs still remain. A close family member continues to accompany the remains, staying in the same room, often sitting at the head of the coffin as neighbors and friends come to pay their last respects.
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Mourning and Merrymaking
The traditional wake often lasting two or three nights, with the neighbors preparing Food. Tobacco, snuff, and liquor were in plentiful supply. In the countryside, the liquor served consisted of whiskey or poteen, a powerful and illegal locally brewed drink, Laughter and song, were common place as the night progressed, followed by crying, heated arguments and lamenting as mourners shared humorous memories regarding the deceased.
While to an outsider, some of these may appear disrespectful of the dead, it certainly was not the intention. The church frowned upon these activities and tried in vain, to discourage the continuation of such rituals, often speaking from the pulpit to dissuade people from participating, regularly to no avail.
Various claims as to the origin of the Irish wake still remain a mystery, with some sources claiming its origin deriving from religious rituals. Another states the use of lead lined pewter tanks for storage of the illicit poteen, leading to the drinkers oft times entering a Cationic state, resembling death, normally leading to full regaining of consciousness after a period of hours or some time days. Thus the wake happened to ensure the person was actually dead, and not in a Cationic state.
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Smoking clay pipes
Up to 20th century Ireland, smoking clay pipe at the wake was common place. Often referred to as a “Duidin” or the “Lord ha mercy” pipe, Packed with cheap tobacco and laid out on trays alongside the porter & whiskey, they were then passed around to mourners to take a pull in respect of the deceased, exclaiming “Lord ha mercy on their soul”, hence the name “Lord ha mercy Pipe” Even nonsmokers were expected to partake of the ritual. After the funeral, the wake pipes have been ritualistically damaged and buried outside. This tradition survived into the early twentieth century, when trays of cigarettes became common place at wakes.
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The Banshee
Various tales and folklore all have their own explanation of “The Banshee”. An attractive lady whom passed away prematurely?
Am Old Lady who still has to make peace with her maker?
Sometimes depicted as some breed of rare bird?
A laundress who washes blood stained clothes?
A family member who warns you when death is approaching?
A Fairy who holds magical powers?
Whatever belief you hold, either way, She is always portrayed as a sign of doom & gloom, weeping and wailing as a sign of her prescence.
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Flowers for Condolence in Irish funeral traditions
Dating back pre-Christianity, the use of flowers and herb/s was customary to anoint the deceased, traditionally used to displace unpleasant odors, today’s modern embalming services take care of any such unpleasantries.
Flowers are a great source of comfort when words cannot express your feelings From a single stem “embossed” red rose to personalized “name tribute sprays and wreaths” expressing your love, respect, and thoughts at a difficult time.
in Ireland funeral traditions, while fresh flowers are still a popular choice, High-quality Silk Flowers beautifully designed and crafted into various designs are fast becoming the flower of choice due to their realistic look, and long lasting alternative, adorning graves for up to a twelve months.
Funeral Flowers are broken into various groups;
- Large Coffin or casket Sprays normally provided by the immediate family and positioned immediately beside or on top of the Coffin or Casket.
- Small floral tributes or single stems positioned inside the casket or coffin
Various smaller sprays, Hearts, Posies and Name Tribute Panels provided by close and extended family members.
Single stem Red Roses strewn over the coffin in the cemetery as a symbol of love
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The Modern Irish Funeral traditions
Today, the Irish Wake continues to be celebrated in various ways albeit varying from county to county. With the popular choice of modern Funeral parlors offering grieving family’s professional help and facilities taking care of all requirements offering choices to the bereaved especially in larger towns and cities.
Gone are the times of Keening and Clay pipe smoking. However the tradition of Food, Drink and shared testimonials about the deceased still remain. Most wakes mainly in rural areas consist of one – two nights in the family home, until the morning of the removal, normally dedicated to family members to say their last goodbyes, with removal directly to the church followed by burial and final prayers, bringing closure for the family.
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Irish Funerals in pandemics
Wakes and funeral rituals had been briefly deserted, earlier in Irish records, in a bid to save the spread of infectious diseases, which included cholera in 1832, and the Spanish Flu in 1918, often frequently met with resistance. However the Irish these days have briefly and definitely cast aside their traditions, to guard their community, something that’s profoundly commendable in the wake of Covid 19. I have no doubt Irish funeral customs will evolve as they continually have, and return so we can continue to respect, admire and honor our dearly departed.
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Black in Irish funeral traditions
In Irish funeral traditions, Funerals are by their nature a somber occasion, the tradition dates back to the Roman Empire, persisting in England & Ireland throughout medieval times.
The wearing of black in Ireland funeral traditions symbolizing respect and mourning for the deceased, Its one of our long-standing traditions distinguishing the main mourners while remembering those we lost without adding attention to ourselves.
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