Abstract
Ireland is often viewed as a deeply Catholic country by outsiders. In fact though, the Irish can prove to be very disobedient to the orders of the Church when dealing with their traditional customs. One of the best known examples is probably that of the 'merry wake'. The Church has tried for hundreds of years to forbid this very special kind of funeral vigil, or at least some of the practices associated with it. However the tradition is so deeply rooted in people's lives, that all these attempts have been unsuccessful.
