The Irish Wake: Origins, Customs, and How It Survives Today

The Irish wake is one of the best-known funeral customs in the world, and one of the most misunderstood. It is often pictured as a party. In fact, it began as a vigil in which a whole community looked after the dead and the grieving. Here is what it was, and what it has become.

What is a wake?

A wake is a gathering to keep watch over the body of someone who has died, between death and burial. A West Cork columnist notes that today the wake in Ireland is a solemn occasion, and the purpose of going is to pray for the dead and to sympathize with the family. Historically, it was much more than that.

Where did the Irish wake come from?

Nobody knows for sure. Hollywood Forever, a cemetery, notes that opinions vary on the origins. Some point to clear pagan influences, such as “waking the dead” with music and stories, and see the true roots in the clash between pagan custom and the spread of Christianity. FuneralWise describes the wake as a mix of paganism and Christianity. A nighttime vigil also served a practical purpose as well as a respectful one, according to Hollywood Forever.

What did a traditional wake look like?

According to FuneralWise, wakes of the past began with neighbor women washing the body and laying it out on a bed or a table, often in the largest room of the house. The body was covered with white linen, and candles were placed around it. Food and drink were plentiful, and in the countryside the drink might be whiskey or poitín, a strong homemade spirit. Close friends and neighbors stayed through the night, while most mourners left by midnight, IrishCentral says.

What were keening, stopped clocks, and covered mirrors?

They were customs that marked the moment of death. Clocks were stopped soon after the person died, and mirrors were covered or turned around. One funeral home’s guide explains that clocks were stopped to mark the time out of respect and to avoid bad luck, and mirrors were covered so that the spirit would not be trapped. Keening, from the Irish word caoineadh, meaning to cry or lament, was the loud singing of sorrowful verses over the body. The West Cork columnist notes that the keening women were called mná caointe. Keening was usually done by women, though there are records of fathers keening for a dead child, and husbands for wives. For more on covered mirrors, see Why Do Some Cultures Cover Mirrors After a Death?.

Is it true there were games and pranks?

Yes. The “merry wake” included music, dance, games, and storytelling. The West Cork column says the wake games go back to pre-Christian Ireland and died out in the 19th century when the clergy spoke and acted against them as pagan and disrespectful. IrishCentral reports that games and songs with names such as “Priest of the Parish” and “Hide the Gulley” lasted until the mid-1900s, so sources disagree about the timing. FuneralWise suggests the merrymaking came partly from Irish pagan heritage and partly from the need to stay awake all night. It was not meant to disrespect the dead. If the death was tragic or untimely, the wake was a very solemn affair.

How has the Irish wake changed?

It has become quieter and shorter. FuneralWise says the custom survives in a “severely toned-down” form. Hollywood Forever notes that a modern wake often means reserving a venue for food and drinks, with only close family and friends invited. Food, drink, and stories remain at many wakes. For how this fits with other funeral customs, see Visitation, Wake, and Viewing: What to Expect and Filipino Funeral and Wake Traditions.