Of all the cultural differences between the Irish and British, practices around death and funerals are among the most pronounced. This succession of little differences is of increasing importance for older Irish people who live – and die – in the UK.
Census data shows the Irish are one of the oldest ethnicities in Britain. The treatment of death is a live issue for the ageing Irish diaspora.
Irish community groups, under the auspices of the Irish in Britain umbrella group, have recently begun lobbying for greater cultural understanding of the issue among UK authorities and healthcare providers.
Irish in Britain last week released a research report, Sing Our Own Song, which delved into some of the issues facing the community.
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Most people in Ireland are familiar with the concept of a “good Irish death”. This may involve dying at home where possible, with a steady flow of family and friends meandering through the house to say their final goodbyes.
Irish deaths and funerals often involve wakes and large gatherings, sometimes with praying through the night in rooms with open windows. There may be singing, music and a battalion of neighbours who take over the provision of tonnes of sandwiches and tea.
Unlike many British people, the Irish often like to lay their hands on their dead. Coffins tend to be left open for wakes in homes. Funerals happen quickly, within just a few days. The deceased is often “shouldered” on their final journey as part of the procession.
A “good Irish death” can be harder to achieve in Britain.
British – and especially English – death and funeral practices can appear starkly different to Irish eyes. For example, the idea of touching the body at a wake or placing a hand on the coffin as it passes by is much less prevalent compared to Irish funerals.
British funerals tend to be smaller and held later, an average of two or three weeks after death. With backlogs in certain cities, it can take much longer. The few English funerals I have attended have felt more emotionally restrained than a typical Irish funeral.
UK hospitals and nursing homes are also less used to the large processions of people who may show up during the final days of a dying Irish resident.
As in Ireland, there are also pressures within the British end-of-life care system.
The Sunday Express reported at the weekend that figures from the Marie Curie end-of-life charity suggest 32 per cent of people who die in Britain do so with an “unmet” care need, such as inadequate GP support. Hospice UK, the representative group for the sector, says 75 per cent of its member hospices are operating with financial deficits.
In recent weeks, a cross-party group of 240 MPs and peers was formed to draw attention to the fissures in the UK’s end-of-life care system. The group includes the Tory former chancellor Jeremy Hunt and Labour former shadow chancellor John McDonnell.
The Irish in Britain group last week launched its report on end-of-life care in conjunction with the Innisfree Housing Association, which rents homes to many older Irish people. Their joint project on the issue was known as Meitheal Muintire.
[ A belated appreciation of one of Britain’s oldest ethnicities: the Irish ‘elders’Opens in new window ]
Brian Dalton, the chief executive of Irish in Britain, mused – with a twinkle in his eye – on Irish cultural quirks around death at the research report’s launch event in the Irish Embassy in Belgravia.
“We have all been at weddings which have seemed mournful and Irish funerals that have been very joyous,” he said, smiling, to a knowing Irish crowd.
The event heard from Innisfree chief executive John Delahunty, the second-generation Irish son of a Fermanagh woman. He said the group decided to address the issue after struggling for support when trying to give a Tipperary woman a “good Irish death” at her home in London.
Innisfree teamed with Irish in Britain to develop the Meitheal Muintire project, which drew from workshops with the community held at the London Irish Centre, as well as those in Liverpool and Leeds.
The final report includes recommendations themed around raising the needs of the Irish community with British policymakers; raising awareness of entitlements among the Irish community; developing services; and investment in advocacy for families and carers.
The report found particular issues affecting those in the Irish community in Britain who may have experienced abuse in Irish institutions, such as reform schools and Magdalene laundries. Dying at home is often of particular importance for these people.
“For some, uniforms [in a hospital or other institutional setting], locked doors, or even the jangling of keys can be triggers,” said Katie Doyle, who runs the survivors’ integrated service at the London Irish Centre.
“Survivors may have a fear of being re-institutionalised and of losing control.”
A good Irish death matters as much for the community in Britain as it does anywhere at home.
