Beyond Belief | One Day Seminar

The Irishman’s house is his coffin’: Death and Burial in Ireland

Speaker: Dr Gillian O’Brien

This talk will explore the Irish obsession with death, funerals and the afterlife. Elements of tradition, folk belief, mystery and superstition will be weaved around stories ranging from grave robbing, American wakes, political funerals, cemeteries, wakes and funeral sandwiches. The talk will examine death and burial in Ireland from Newgrange to recent times and it will also consider how death has been represented in art, music, fiction and poetry to see if James Joyce was correct when he stated: ‘The Irishman’s house is his coffin’.

The Otherworld in Irish vernacular and folk tradition

Speaker: Dr Kelly Fitzgerald

Traditions around the supernatural and otherworld have long been a focus of folklore studies in Ireland. When such beliefs are examined in a more holistic sense, taking into account their connection to everyday life, it allows for a deeper and more cohesive understanding of their functions. Such beliefs are rooted in psychological needs and are related to human feelings and emotions. The imagery of these traditions provides drama, poetics and the human imagination at its most wonderful. Creative interpretations of the world around us abound in the shared narratives of the Irish landscape.

The Wheel of the Year and Health

Speaker: Dr Rosari Kingston

There is a natural interplay between the Irish cyclical calendar and healing. This lecture will explore how each six-week period throughout the year shaped both spiritual and therapeutic practices among communities. The wheel of the year informed the selection and application of medicinal plants, the ritual use of sacred wells, and the organisation of communal healing events. These activities are rooted in a holistic approach to health that integrates physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health as well as an enduring relationship between landscape, culture and well-being.