Overview

First published in Irish in 1961 and in English in 1967, this classic work has never been superseded as a treatment of the fascinating subject of traditional wakes in Ireland. As well as eating, drinking, smoking a pipe and taking snuff, many other forms of entertainment were common in Irish wakes, to pass the long hours of the night or two nights of the wake. These included storytelling, singing, dancing, music, card-playing, riddling and rhyming, and feats of agility and strength both inside the wake-house and in an adjoining field before the funeral started next day. Seán Ó Súilleabháin also shows that Ireland, far from being different from other countries, was part of the general European (and world) pattern in holding prolonged and merry wakes.

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9781856351737

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Reviews

'Macabre but fascinating exploration of the games, practical jokes and general revelry that accompanied wakes and which are now increasingly things of the past. Helpful background to Finnegans Wake, by James Joyce, which takes place at a wake and features many jokes, literary games and high-spirited hijinks.' - J. Geary

Author Information

Seán Ó Súilleabháin, a renowned folklorist and native Irish speaker, was born on November 30, 1903, in Derrylough, Co. Kerry, Ireland. After being introduced to folklore during his schooling in Beaufield, Co. Mayo, he developed a lifelong passion for the subject, which he started formally collecting in 1923. His training as a primary school teacher, work as an archivist for the newly formed Irish Folklore Commission, and eventual role as a lecturer in folklore at University College Dublin allowed him to delve deeply into the discipline. He authored a vast collection of works, including collections of poems, songs, folktales, and studies on Irish folk customs. Throughout his life, Ó Súilleabháin was a strong advocate for the Irish language and traditional music, serving on multiple commissions and receiving an honorary D.Litt. (Celt.) from the National University of Ireland in 1976. He was married to Maureen Sheehy and had two children. Ó Súilleabháin passed away on December 13, 1996, and is commemorated by a stone erected in his honor in Tuosist.

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