Comment by derriz

Most Irish never experience a wake. I know which island is being discussed in the piece (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achill_Island). My grandparents lived there and I attended their wakes and those of other elderly relatives in the area. But even there, wakes are becoming less and common. And wakes are generally unknown in Ireland outside of relatively isolated rural areas. I suspect in a couple of decades the custom will be gone completely.