Loved the information about the traditional Irish Wake. It reminded me of a story my Dad used to tell about his Dad, my Grandpa Ryan. The Catholic funeral home in my home town, Davenport, Iowa, was called Halligan-McCabe Funeral Home. After Grandpa retired, he used to take the bus down to Halligans and hang out there all day visiting with the various mourners who would show up, since he knew so many folks in town. My Dad used to pick him up on his way home from work and take him home for supper and often he wanted to go back there for the evening wakes. Grandpa always wanted to go back to Ireland to visit the relatives, and one year he and Grandma were planning to actually go. The day they were to leave for the airport, he tripped over the luggage and broke his shoulder, and never did get to go. When I finally go there, I sat in a tea shop in Galway and toasted them and all who came before.