Here’s an Irish wake; from the beginning. In Mayo, when a person dies all the furniture is cleared from the room. A little table with 5 lighted candles is placed next to the bed where the deceased lies #Wake
A plate of cut tobacco, a box of clay pipes, a box of snuff and some matches. All the people from the surrounding villages come to the house. They go to the room where the body lies, say a few prayers and take a pipe and tobacco #Wake
Two men have already been sent to the village to order the coffin, buy bread, meat and, vitally, whisky, stout and wine. Someone starts to say the “Rosary” and everyone joins in. With the prayers out of the way, it’s time for the keeners #Wake
We described the keening last night. The verse praising the deceased “Buckeen, why did you leave us .. we are lost without you.. who’ll take your place behind the plough..” (even if he never did a days work in his life) “look at you lying there, lovely for all to see..” #Wake
Followed by the ‘gol’ or cry “Ochone, Ochone” a primitive and plaintive expression of grief. The strange and obscure words transmit the spirit to the ancestral otherworld. Death without the keen is a spiritual disaster #Wake
The keen goes on for a long time unless, of course, there is a second death in the parish and the keeners are needed there. They are being paid, the earnings are called ‘a dole’. They are professional cryers, but everyone admits they are very good #Wake
Already the clocks have been stopped at the time of death, mirrors covered and the windows opened. Nothing must impede the spirits journey at this dangerous time #Wake
Wouldn’t it be a fright to God to end up in the Christian otherworld instead of the ancestral one- you’d be raging #Wake
The priest - that deadly rival of the keeners - is not welcome at the wake - they are competing for souls / spirits but more importantly - dole or dues - whatever way you call it, it’s money #Wake
At the wake, the keeners have the spiritual floor. The keening creates a highly charged environment - add in the poteen and the mixture is potent. Another character, little remembered now takes centre stage #Wake
If the keeners are concerned with restoring order in the spiritual world - repairing the rupture caused by the death of the deceased, another character takes on the role reestablishing social order by disorder - the Borekeen #Wake
The Borekeen, usually an older man, takes on the role of master of ceremonies. This is no ordinary performance tho: he is responsible for the funeral games that the Catholic clergy so disliked. “Go ahead Borekeen, you have the floor” #Wake
The first game is called “The pedlars”. Two players seek lodging for the night and when refused, attack the people in the house - purpose of game - cause as much commotion as possible, the craic is only starting #Wake
Next game is called “Downey”. Downey pretends to be dead and four of the strong boys carry him to the ‘cemetery, before they reach the door of the house, Downey revives and demands drink - a mighty row breaks out. #Wake
Folklorist Sean O’Suilleabhain writing in 1967 tells of dozens of games played at wakes - drinking, music and dancing, storytelling and as the night advanced things began to get a bit rowdy #Wake
Feats of endurance and contests of strength between the strongboys- names of games like “stealing the goat” bore no resemblance to stealing a goat but required the player to pick up a potato with his teeth while standing on a sod of turf - seemingly great craic #Wake
Dexterity; “catching the herrings” had nothing to do with fishing but required the player to sit balanced on a stick placed between two chairs while passing a sod of turf under the stick - a surprisingly difficult thing to do #Wake
Toughness; the poteen was now flying and things were getting a bit hairy. A player placed his hand behind his back while others took turns in whacking him, this went on for as long as he could stick it #Wake
In Wexford they thought this was great craic and innovated a little by substituting the bare handed slap for a thick leather strap. Paddy Kennedy was a champion at it - we are unsure if he was the slapper or the slappee #Wake
Athletics - yes athletics in the wakehouse. Somersaulting around the kitchen, in Donegal they added wrestling for variety and even indoor long jump was known o take place #Wake
Taunting was a particular favourite for the more mean spirited at the wake. It was an excellent opportunity to tell people what you actually thought of them and blame custom and practice for especially hurtful barbs “it wasn’t me, it was the wake” #Wake
Sometimes the more sensitive among the wake goers would take offense when the strongboys questioned their honour / courage / parentage etc. Fights were common, sometimes spilling over into intergenerational violence- the famed faction fight #Wake
We can see that there are some elements of the Irish wake that we were not told about at school - dancing, bucklepping, roaring and shouting, walloping, taunting, fighting. The Borekeen, if he was any good, made sure everything got out of hand #Wake
And if we think this behaviour at at a wake is surprising (it certainly surprised me) the symbolism of ritualised disorder in the presence of death proclaimed (loudly) that life would go on - makes some sense - doesn’t it..? #Wake
This behaviour goes on all night - the deceased must not be left alone. Someone starts a song - a gra mo chroi- appropriately sad and lonesome. Lads who were walloping the lard out of each other a minute ago, are halted by the plaintive strain, become tearful buddies #Wake
Someone takes out a tin whistle (just when we thought things couldn’t get any worse) and the dancing starts. A fiddle - safely hidden until this moment and a melodeon - “come on boys, the Siege of Ennis” #Wake
And what about the courting? “I must have had too much sherry- Come on ya Boya - because the Pinkeen Gorman isn’t looking too bad tonight Mind the dresser.. would ya like ta dance Pinkeen?””I would” says he #Wake
“Would yis look at the Pinkeen” roars the Borekeen pointing us doing a two hand reel around the kitchen (Pinkeen’s not a great dance) and we are mortified as the strongboys turn their attention on us “Come in the Pinkeen” someone shouts #Wake
“Let’s play the ‘rope game’ says one of the strongboys’. We are in trouble now because the ‘rope game’ having very little to do with ropes actually involves kissing. “Sit down Pinkeen, til we kiss ya” said the strongboys and the Pinkeen is mortified #Wake
And the Pinkeen sat down in the middle of the floor and all the girls bravely went over and kissed him while the strongboys howled laughing with the good of it. “Enough” roared the Borekeen the “the braggart’s enjoying it” #Wake
It’s half past three in the morning. Several fights, Paddy Kennedy retains his slapping title, there’s loads of whiskey, someone has thrown the tin whistle out the window - “things are going great” thought the Buckeen’s widow “ its early yet tho” #Wake
A knock on the door “Who could that be at this hour” said the strongboys, knowing well that it was the strawboys. Lads covered in head to toe in straw came in “Howya, we are here to play “the cure for a sore head” “yis are welcome so” #Wake
This game also involves kissing but unlike the herring game that had nothing to do with herring or the rope game that had nothing to do with ropes, the cure of the sore head game had plenty to do with sore heads but very little to do with cures #Wake
You were allowed ask someone for a kiss and as far as it goes that sounds fun but if she refused she was allowed whack you on the head with her shoe. The strongboys suddenly weren’t so strong now, especially when they saw Sally ‘the Girl’s’ new leather brogues #Wake
The wake will be going on all night. Join me here tomorrow night for the funeral #Wake
