Study underway to record Irish funeral traditions before they are lost

A new research project is seeking stories of funerals and wakes in the north so that traditions can be documented before they are lost. The British Academy-funded study is led by Dr Sharon Mallon of University of Staffordshire, who is asking members of the public to share their experiences. Interviews will take place during the week starting on Sunday 25 October, and people aged 18 and over who have attended a funeral or wake in the north within the past five years are invited to take part.

In Newry in recent years the Funeral Home has become an increasingly popular option for families dealing with a loss of a loved one. The traditional wake where the remains are laid out at home for family and friends to call at any stage is undergoing change as well with many families options to keep the house private or restrict visiting to certain hours.

Dr Mallon is working alongside historian Dr Peter Morgan Barnes, and the pair will travel around the north several times over the next year to speak to participants. Interviews can also be done online. Dr Mallon said they are happy to travel to see people.

“Interviews will last approximately 30 to 40 minutes and can be conducted online or we are happy to travel to see people. No specialist knowledge is required, we are just interested in hearing about people’s experiences and observations.”

The project is called Death Practices in Transition: Meaning, Ritual, and Change in Northern Ireland. It looks at how people in the north now “do death” and what changing funeral, wake, burial and cremation practices say about identity, community and belonging. It also looks at how practices have evolved and how much meaning given to these rituals is changing. Participants will have the chance to have their accounts preserved, with their permission, in public archives so that future generations can learn from them.

The idea for the research came from Dr Mallon’s own experience. She noticed how much had changed between her father’s death 25 years ago and her mother’s more recent death.

“Things have changed massively,” said the Senior Lecturer in Social Work and Wellbeing. “It made me think about what we carry forward, what changes and what we risk losing if these stories aren’t recorded.

“This is an opportunity to document the ordinary lives of people across Northern Ireland and the rituals that matter to them. The ways we gather, say goodbye, care for one another and remember those who have died are an important part of our shared history.”

She said the timing of the interviews is deliberate. “Halloween has long been associated with transition and the idea that the veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest. It feels like a fitting moment to hear from people across Northern Ireland about their experiences of funerals and the rituals that help us remember those who have died, navigate loss and make sense of life and death.”

Some changes to funeral practices resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic, with restrictions affecting how families and communities could gather to mourn and support one another.

Dr Mallon added: “Funerals are about much more than what happens to the body. They give families and communities an opportunity to say goodbye, remember someone’s life, share grief and support each other.

“We want to record these personal accounts, including the small details and family traditions that might otherwise go unrecorded. If we don’t document these practices now, some of them risk disappearing completely.”

Anyone interested in taking part can contact Dr Sharon Mallon at sharon.mallon@staffs.ac.uk for more information and details of the study.