Centuries old rituals of the traditional Irish funeral By Padraic Cawley Civil Funeral Celebrant The coronavirus pandemic has caused upheavals in many aspects of life, but perhaps none more than in the ritual of death. They say the Irish “do death well.” But for people mourning the dead now, there will be no traditional Irish funeral. Funerals are a deeply ingrained part of Ireland’s culture. Hundreds typically attend funeral services and it’s not unimaginable for 1,000 people to file in to churches, crematoria and funeral homes over the course of the two-day ritual to shake hands — “sympathize” — with bereaved family members. At the wake, people eat, drink and tell stories; there is often an open casket, and friends and neighbours will line up to say a last prayer or goodbye. These are rituals that go back centuries and they are firmly established in the national psyche. People talk of “getting a great send-off.” Ireland may have a relatively low death count from COVID-19 in comparison with other countries, but the epidemic is nonetheless changing how the country mourns. Death notices in the local paper or online no 58 | FuneralTimes
longer include funeral details. With attendees limited to 10 people, no one outside the immediate family can go to them anyway. Condolence books and sympathy cards are no longer allowed, pens and paper being just another source of potential transmission for the virus. Crematorium services are now limited to one time slot, and currently restricted to 10 mourners, and larger families are having to decide who attends. One positive is that technology can provide some comfort by recording or live streaming a service for the wider family and friends to view, and in a small way feel included in the proceedings. While some may feel that posting a death on social media may be tacky, it is now so common, that maybe right
now as we are all stuck at home, it is the best we can do. As an industry, the funeral profession is one of caring, of giving, and of doing our utmost to assist and ensure that every family gets the best possible service. It is just so heartbreaking to witness a family’s grief, and it goes against the grain when we are restricted in what we can offer. As a celebrant, I am very conscious of ensuring that every family gets the dignified and meaningful celebration of their loved ones life that they deserve, within the short time slot. Hopefully, as the restrictions ease we will get back in some way to doing what we Irish do best when it comes to death. None of us want to see the ‘Death of the Irish funeral’
Mourners who were unable to attend a service, sent flowers instead to be placed on the pews, to shine love in their absence, supporting the grieving family in a very visible and tangible way
