BellaOnline Forums Travel and Culture Irish Culture Irish Wake

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.

Many people would avoid a wake, not wanting to be sad at the death of a friend or loved one. Many people are squeamish about death even though it is as much a part of life as birth. Irish wakes have always embraced that truth and are often very lively. A stranger might not understand that there is indeed deep sorrow being expressed at the same time that there is a good laugh as some idiosyncracy of the departed is being enjoyed.

You visited Ireland with all the right instincts in place. No wonder you had such a great trip!

It's a beautiful way of celebrating somebody who was loved. Wakes usually bring in all the good things about that person, and while it is sad to know that they are no longer alive, it's also important to keep our memories of those loved ones alive. Wakes allow a lot of spontaneous sharing of these memories which can be so healing for everyone - those telling the stories and those hearing it. It's also good to be able to laugh in the midst of sorrow and mourning. It reminds us that life goes on.