Local paper republishes beloved column about Celtic wakes, community to gather

On December 28, 2025 we republished a column by the late local contributor Sue Quigley that recounts a deeply personal and vividly detailed Irish wake. Written originally in February 2025 and first published in two parts, the piece revisits the Celtic practice of gathering family and friends to mourn and celebrate together, and points to university research in Ireland that finds the tradition helps people cope better with bereavement.

Quigley traces the story to the death of her father in law, Thomas Quigley, who died while in Scotland. Because he wanted to be buried in his hometown in Ireland the family arranged transport from Glasgow to Dublin, then followed the family hearse on a convoy across the country to Donegal. About two hours into the trip the hearse stopped outside a pub, where Jimmy Quigley the hearse driver and funeral director announced, "I’m hungry and thirsty," and invited everyone to rest while he brought food and drinks out. Outside the pub other customers asked who was in the coffin and Jimmy replied, "'Tis Tommy Quigley."

The column describes the coffin being laid on a table in the parlor with the lid removed, the music of fiddles and flutes, prayers and storytelling, and a wake that went on for three days. Quigley explains keening, often led by a bean chaointe, and discusses rituals such as turning family portraits to face the wall and covering mirrors before burial. On the practice of vocal grieving she summarizes the tradition as "Sing or cry out," noting the dramatic and communal nature of the ceremonies.

For Hernando County readers the column offers more than a colorful memoir. It serves as a reminder of how communal rituals shape grieving, and why public acts of support remain meaningful in a time when death is often privatized. To honor Sue we invite the community to Marker 48 on January 15, 2026 from 6 to 8 p.m. to share memories and a pint in her memory.