Funerary Rituals and Traditions in Twenty-First Century Irish Literature: Navigating Grief in a Liminal Space.

Madden, Margaret Bonass (2025) Funerary Rituals and Traditions in Twenty-First Century Irish Literature: Navigating Grief in a Liminal Space. Doctoral thesis, Dundalk Institute of Technology.

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Abstract

This thesis explores how grief and funerary rituals are portrayed in twenty-first century Irish literature, focusing on the ways in which funerals and wakes function as liminal spaces that illuminate the emotional and psychological processes of mourning. Addressing a gap in research, which often overlooks the literary representation of funerary traditions in post-2000 Irish literature, this study examines works by authors such as Anne Enright, Mary Costello, Kathleen MacMahon, and Donal Ryan. Using an interdisciplinary approach that integrates literary analysis with psychological, anthropological and medical perspectives on grief, this research argues that funerary rituals act as narrative tools for exploring the complexities of grief and the intersections of personal loss, collective identity and societal change. These rituals, deeply rooted in tradition yet reimagined for modern contexts, create transitional spaces where characters navigate transformation, healing, alienation and their reintegration into community life. Drawing on Arnold van Gennep’s theory of liminality, Victor Turner’s concept of communitas and including contemporary grief theory, this thesis examines how Irish literature reflects broader cultural concerns, including national identity, secularisation, and the preservation of tradition. It demonstrates how funerary settings serve as spaces for personal reflection and communal negotiation, offering insights into how grief is experienced and understood in a rapidly evolving society. This research makes an original contribution to Irish studies by bridging literary analysis with interdisciplinary perspectives, revealing how funerary traditions remain central to Irish culture while continuing to evolve in response to modernity.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Funerals; Grief; Irish Literature.
Subjects:	Arts and Humanities
Research Centres:	UNSPECIFIED
Depositing User:	Sean McGreal
Date Deposited:	08 May 2025 13:11
Last Modified:	08 May 2025 13:11
License:	Creative Commons: Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0
URI:	https://eprints.dkit.ie/id/eprint/933

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