Aifric O'Connell chats to Rosemary Ryan, the curator of The Irish Wake Museum about the history of traditions and superstitions about death. Listen back above.
We Irish have always had a close relationship and understanding of death, and the new museum in Waterford now allows visitors an even closer look at the death and funeral traditions that defined our culture in the past.
Located in "the dead centre of Waterford" – a pun very much intended – the Irish Wake Museum has become the newest addition to the country's tourism sites, and delves into a deeply held but often not talked about part of life: death.
Asked why Irish people are obsessed with death, Ryan responded: "I'd like to think we're obsessed with life as well. It's celebrating life, celebrating our loved ones.
"We're naturally curious as well about whether we go on, our spirit, our soul, whatever you like to believe yourself. We wanted to celebrate how the Irish have actually memorialised people throughout the whole entire settlement of Ireland."
It's commonly said that the Irish do death very well, which Ryan heartily agrees with. She noted how the museum touches on this history, telling the story of death (and life) in Ireland.
"Ireland has become a very compassionate place Aifric, and we really do need to celebrate and embrace differences and lives and contributions", she said.
"We had this wonderful building which had been set up as an alms house in 1478 by two people who are very dear to our hearts in Waterford, the Dean of Christchurch Cathedral back in the 1470s and his dear friend, a a wine merchant, mayor 11 times, Jame White."
White bankrolled the alms house for 12 older people in the city, where they could live out the end of their lives. "They had to rise three times up in the night and pray for the souls of their benefactors", Ryan added.
Visitors will be guided around the museum by an actor playing an undertaker who explains how alms houses worked, how chapels were added onto bigger churches and how people used to try and quicken their arrival from purgatory to heaven.
"There was this really intense belief that by the saying of masses, that was the most effective, or by doing good works you would basically buy your way into heaven. Or you would guarantee a better afterlife. They were really obsessed with that and that inspired the setting up of the alms house."
As well as detailing what happened during an old Irish funeral, Ryan said the museum looks at the ways we keep our dearly departed alive with us after death.
"We also talk about healing, remembering your loved ones later on with mourning jewellery, very spooky with hair – well, I don't find it spooky, actually. I'd wear it."
You can book tickets to the museum online, or go on the day – though booking is advised.
