{"id":28237,"date":"2023-06-23T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-23T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=28237"},"modified":"2023-06-29T11:09:42","modified_gmt":"2023-06-29T15:09:42","slug":"the-irish-wake-museum-opens-in-waterford","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=28237","title":{"rendered":"The Irish Wake Museum Opens In Waterford"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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By Barry Coughlan<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For anyone, the subject of death is never an easy one, but the tradition of wakes in Ireland has gone on through the centuries and continues today albeit mostly in rural locations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, visitors to the country with little or no knowledge of how the dead have been sent on their final journey can educate themselves (with a little bit of help) on the whole procedure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The oldest urban domestic building in Ireland is now home to Ireland\u2019s newest museum which traces the customs, traditions and superstitions associated with death from the earliest times to the 20th century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Irish Wake Museum was officially opened in Waterford by Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O\u2019Brien.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Irish Wake Museum located at what was the former Dean John Collyn\u2019s Almshouse, a Retirement Home for old people, called \u2018God\u2019s People\u2019s House\u2019 was founded in 1478 on All Souls Day, November 2, the Day of the Dead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The occupants of the former Alms Houses paid for their keep by praying three times a night for the souls of its patrons and the souls of the deceased citizens of Waterford.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Commenting on the new museum Minister O\u2019Brien said: \u201cI am delighted to support this imaginative initiative which celebrates how death has always been a community event in Ireland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019d like to congratulate Waterford City and County Council on another remarkable conservation project demonstrating yet again their commitment to our heritage. Many people have supported this project, and I would particularly like to mention David Boles, the co-founder of the extraordinary Irish Museum of Time as well as the late Dr Tom and Mrs Marie Cavanagh of the Tomar Philanthropic Trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019d like to also thank the conservation master mason Brian Whelan whose craftsmanship cannot be underestimated. Finally, I\u2019d like to acknowledge all the staff of Waterford Treasures Museums, including Director Eamonn McEneaney, Acting Curator Rosemary Ryan and museum Keeper Donnchadh \u00d3 Ceallach\u00e1in, as well as the support of the Chairman Des Whelan It and the entire Board.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Mayor of Waterford Cllr. John O\u2019Leary described the Museum as \u201cunique\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is also an intrinsic element of Ireland\u2019s heritage. It brings communities together, it is a time to grieve together but it is also a celebration of life. This distinct and historic act is one that holds an air of intrigue and the Irish Wake cultural traditions are held in fascination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe new museum is a distinct tourism proposition in a global sense and added to the award-winning collection of museums in Waterford City it re-affirms Waterford not only as Ireland\u2019s oldest City, but an ancient City which celebrates its own heritage and that of Ireland for its locals and visitors alike.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new museum is the latest in the Waterford Treasures collective of Museums at Waterford\u2019s Viking Triangle, it is in addition to the Medieval Museum \u2013 the only purpose-built museum specialising in medieval history in Ireland \u2013 The Bishop\u2019s Palace, The Irish Museum of Time, Irish Silver Museum, King of the Vikings virtual reality experience and the EPIC guided walking tour of Waterford.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Museum houses a remarkable array of objects associated with death in Ireland which the Waterford Museum of Treasures has been collecting for the last 10 years and will offer visitors an opportunity to explore rituals that hold global intrigue and that are entirely unique to Ireland on an intimate guided tour experience. In addition, The Irish Wake Museum has partnered with the multi-award-winning Waterford Whisky and visitors will also be able to book tickets to an Irish Wake and Whisky experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Director of Waterford Treasures Eamonn MceNeaney said, \u201cThe Irish Wake is one of the iconic parts of our national culture and visitors will get to experience a sense of this as we trace the customs, traditions and superstitions associated with death from the earliest times.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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At the new museum visitors first arrive at the area once occupied by a shop, the rent from which was used to maintain the almshouse, a new audio-visual showcase explores how the Irish landscape was etched by death over six thousand years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moving into the almshouse proper, visitors will experience storytelling through six rooms chronologically from the 15th to the 20th centuries, with different themes associated with death being explored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The exhibition ends by urging people as others have for centuries to Memento Mori – remember death – and to paraphrase George Bernard Shaw, to rejoice in life for its own sake and understand that life is no brief candle but a sort of splendid torch which we get hold of for the moment, in order to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In keeping with the spirit of the founders of the almshouse Waterford Treasures will donate \u20ac1 from each admission ticket to the Waterford Hospice Movement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The museum is now open to visitors, further details and advance tickets can be found at www.waterfordtreasures.com<\/a><\/p>\n

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