Death in Ireland: A St. Paddy’s Day Reflection

I just got my 23andMe results back—turns out I’m 90% Anglo-Irish-Scottish. No real surprises there, considering I was born in England to an Irish mother and a Scottish father. But seeing it spelled out, my heritage quantified in percentages, has me thinking about lineage, ancestry, and I wanted to take a moment to honor the death rituals of the Irish. And what better day to reflect on Irish death traditions than St. Patrick’s Day?

Now, St. Paddy’s (yes, Paddy, never Patty) is a day of revelry, rivers dyed green, and questionable decisions involving Guinness. But Ireland has a long and rich relationship with death, one that is woven into its culture through keening, wakes, and an almost reverent sense of humor about the whole thing.

No one does death quite like the Irish. The traditional Irish wake is legendary—a gathering of family and friends, not just to mourn but to celebrate the life of the deceased. The body would often be laid out in the home, candles flickering, a steady flow of whiskey, tea, and stories. Grief and laughter sit side by side, as tales are told, songs are sung, and people drink deep from both sorrow and joy.

There’s a kind of defiance in it, a refusal to let death steal the spirit of the one who’s passed. The wake is an acknowledgment: yes, they’re gone, but let’s send them off properly—with warmth, wit, and one last toast.

Before the wake, there was the keening—an ancient practice where women would wail and lament over the body, a raw, heart-wrenching expression of sorrow. It was once a central part of mourning, a tradition passed down through generations, but the Church wasn’t a fan and did its best to stamp it out. Even so, echoes of keening remain in the way the Irish express grief—open, poetic, and unafraid of the depth of loss.

Irish folklore is brimming with stories of the dead. The banshee, for one, is said to wail outside the homes of those about to pass, her cry an eerie herald of death. Then there’s Samhain, the Celtic festival marking the thinning of the veil between the living and the dead—Halloween’s spiritual ancestor.

Even on St. Patrick’s Day, when the spirits in question are more likely to be found at the bottom of a pint glass, there’s an ever-present awareness of the past, of those who came before, and of the great, inevitable journey we all take.

And let us not forget the irreverent sense of humor of the Irish—Father Ted comes to mind. Here's a short clip from the brilliant, though short-lived, series.

So, while the world drinks to St. Patrick today, I find myself raising a glass to something older, deeper. To the Irish way of death—fiercely felt, deeply honored, and never without a good story. - Happy St Paddy's Day! Sundara

Sláinte to the ones who came before us. May we meet them again, laughing, on the other side.

As an End of Life Doula, I hold space for the traditions that bring comfort at life’s end. Whether it’s storytelling, music, or simply being present in a way that honors your journey, I am here to help you and your loved ones navigate this transition with dignity and care. If you’d like to explore how I can support you in preserving your own traditions at the end of life, let’s connect.