Irish Funeral Poems
About Irish Funeral Poems
The Irish tradition of honouring the dead blends poetry, prayer, and music into something uniquely powerful. From ancient Celtic blessings to Yeats, these poems carry the rhythms of a culture that has always known how to grieve with grace.
Best Irish Funeral Poems
The most meaningful irish funeral poems chosen for funeral services, ranked by how often they are read at memorial services.
“May the Road Rise Up to Meet You” — Traditional Irish Blessing
The definitive Irish funeral blessing, used at virtually every Irish funeral. Ends with "May God hold you in the palm of His hand." Known worldwide.
May the road rise up to meet you, May the wind be always at your back, May the sun shine warm upon your face; And rains fall soft upon your fields.
“Deep Peace” — Traditional Celtic
Litany-style blessing invoking peace through nature: waves, air, earth, stars. Used in both Celtic Christian and secular ceremonies. The repetition creates a meditative calm.
Deep peace of the running wave to you, Deep peace of the flowing air to you, Deep peace of the quiet earth to you, Deep peace of the shining stars to you.
“An Old Irish Blessing” — Traditional
Beautiful imagery of light, sunlight, peat fire, and warmth. "May light shine out of the two eyes of you, like a candle set in the window." Uniquely Irish.
May the blessing of light be on you -- Light without and light within. May the blessed sunlight shine on you And warm your heart till it glows.
“The Parting Glass” — Traditional Irish/Scottish
Traditional farewell song often sung at Irish wakes. Honest, warm, and unsentimental. Can be read as a poem or sung by the congregation.
Of all the money that e'er I had, I spent it in good company. And all the harm that e'er I've done, Alas, it was to none but me.
“He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven” — W.B. Yeats
"Tread softly because you tread on my dreams." One of the most beautiful love poems in the English language. Used at funerals for beloved partners and parents.
Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths, Enwrought with golden and silver light, The blue and the dim and the dark cloths Of night and light and the half-light.
All Irish Funeral Poems (15)
Browse every irish funeral poems in our collection, sorted by popularity.
May the Road Rise Up to Meet You
Traditional Irish Blessing
May the road rise up to meet you, May the wind be always at your back, May the sun shine warm upon your face; The rains fall soft upon your fields And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
— Traditional Irish Blessing
THE definitive Irish funeral blessing, used at virtually every Irish funeral — ending with 'May God hold you in the palm of His hand.'
Best moment: Read at the close of the service or at the graveside
Pairs with: Danny Boy, Amazing Grace
An Old Irish Blessing (May the Blessing of Light)
Traditional Irish
May the blessing of light be on you — Light without and light within. May the blessed sunlight shine on you Like a great peat fire, So that stranger and friend may come And warm himself at it. And may light shine out of the two eyes of you, Like a candle set in the window of a house, Bidding the wanderer come in out of the storm. And may the blessing of the rain be on you, May it beat upon your spirit And wash it fair and clean, And leave there a shining pool Where the blue of Heaven shines, And sometimes a star.
— Traditional Irish
Beautiful Irish blessing with imagery of light, sunlight, peat fire, and warmth — 'may light shine out of the two eyes of you.'
Best moment: Read during the service or at the graveside
Pairs with: Danny Boy, Amazing Grace
Deep Peace
Traditional Celtic / Fiona Macleod
Deep peace of the running wave to you, Deep peace of the flowing air to you, Deep peace of the quiet earth to you, Deep peace of the shining stars to you, Deep peace of the gentle night to you, Moon and stars pour their healing light on you, Deep peace of Christ the light of the world to you.
— Traditional Celtic / Fiona Macleod
A litany-style Celtic blessing invoking peace through nature: waves, air, earth, stars.
Best moment: Read as a closing blessing at the service
Pairs with: Danny Boy, Somewhere Over the Rainbow
The Parting Glass
Traditional Irish/Scottish
Of all the money that e'er I had, I spent it in good company. And all the harm that e'er I've done, Alas, it was to none but me. And all I've done for want of wit To memory now I can't recall; So fill to me the parting glass, Good night and joy be with you all. Oh, all the comrades that e'er I've had Are sorry for my going away. And all the sweethearts that e'er I've had Would wish me one more day to stay. But since it falls unto my lot That I should rise and you should not, I'll gently rise and I'll softly call, Good night and joy be with you all.
— Traditional Irish/Scottish
Traditional Irish farewell song often sung at wakes — 'good night and joy be with you all.'
Best moment: Read or sung at the wake or close of service
He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven
W.B. Yeats
Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths, Enwrought with golden and silver light, The blue and the dim and the dark cloths Of night and light and the half-light, I would spread the cloths under your feet: But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.
— W.B. Yeats
One of the most beautiful love poems in English — 'Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.'
Best moment: Read during the eulogy for a spouse or parent
Pairs with: Hallelujah, Danny Boy
God Saw You Getting Tired (Irish tradition)
Unknown
God saw you getting tired And a cure was not to be, So He put His arms around you And whispered, 'Come to me.' With tearful eyes we watched you, And saw you pass away. Although we loved you dearly, We could not make you stay. A golden heart stopped beating, Hard-working hands at rest. God broke our hearts to prove to us He only takes the best.
— Unknown
Possibly the most-used memorial card verse in Ireland — addressing long illness with God as merciful deliverer.
Best moment: Printed on memorial cards or read during the service
Pairs with: Danny Boy, Amazing Grace
Death Is Not Extinguishing the Light
Rabindranath Tagore
Death is not extinguishing the light; It is only putting out the lamp Because the dawn has come.
— Rabindranath Tagore
Three lines of Tagore: death is putting out the lamp because the dawn has come. Used extensively at Irish funerals.
Best moment: Printed on memorial cards or read as a brief reflection
Pairs with: Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Here Comes the Sun
An Irish Airman Foresees His Death
W.B. Yeats
I know that I shall meet my fate Somewhere among the clouds above; Those that I fight I do not hate, Those that I guard I do not love; My country is Kiltartan Cross, My countrymen Kiltartan's poor, No likely end could bring them loss Or leave them happier than before. Nor law, nor duty bade me fight, Nor public men, nor cheering crowds, A lonely impulse of delight Drove to this tumult in the clouds; I balanced all, brought all to mind, The years to come seemed waste of breath, A waste of breath the years behind In balance with this life, this death.
— W.B. Yeats
Yeats's meditation on death and purpose — works for anyone who faced death with equanimity or served in the military.
Best moment: Read during the service or eulogy
The Lake Isle of Innisfree
W.B. Yeats
I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree, And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made; Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee, And live alone in the bee-loud glade. And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow, Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings; There midnight's all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow, And evening full of the linnet's wings. I will arise and go now, for always night and day I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore; While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey, I hear it in the deep heart's core.
— W.B. Yeats
Yeats's yearning for peace and rest — 'I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow.'
Best moment: Read during the service
Pairs with: Danny Boy, Somewhere Over the Rainbow
On the Death of the Beloved
John O'Donohue
Though we need to weep your loss, We also need to feel the freedom of your dance.
— John O'Donohue
Copyright John O'Donohue Estate.
Modern Irish priest-poet O'Donohue balances grief with celebration — 'May you continue to inspire us.'
Best moment: Read during the service
Pairs with: Danny Boy, You Raise Me Up
Beannacht (Blessing)
John O'Donohue
On the day when The weight deadens on your shoulders And you stumble, May the clay dance to balance you.
— John O'Donohue
Copyright John O'Donohue Estate.
Irish Gaelic title 'Beannacht' meaning 'Blessing' — offering comfort for difficult days with vivid natural imagery.
Best moment: Read during the service
Pairs with: Danny Boy, Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Death Is Not Extinguishing the Light (Irish tradition)
Rabindranath Tagore
Death is not extinguishing the light; It is only putting out the lamp Because the dawn has come.
— Rabindranath Tagore
Three lines widely used at Irish funerals — the lamp/dawn metaphor resonates deeply with Celtic light symbolism.
Best moment: Printed on memorial cards or read as a brief reflection
Pairs with: Danny Boy, Here Comes the Sun
Walking with Grief (Celtic Prayer)
Unknown (Celtic tradition)
Do not hurry as you walk with grief; It does not help the journey. Walk slowly, pausing often: Do not hurry as you walk with grief. Be not disturbed by memories that come unbidden. Swiftly or slowly, they will come. Be gentle with the one who walks with grief. If some days you cannot go on, do not worry. It is the road itself that teaches the next step. When you walk with grief It is always one step at a time. Do not hurry as you walk with grief; Be gentle with yourself along the way.
— Unknown (Celtic tradition)
A Celtic prayer offering gentle wisdom about the grief journey — walk slowly, be gentle with yourself, take it one step at a time.
Best moment: Read at the graveside or during the service
Pairs with: Danny Boy, Abide With Me
For Grief
John O'Donohue
When you lose someone you love, Your life becomes strange.
— John O'Donohue
Copyright John O'Donohue Estate. From 'To Bless the Space Between Us.'
A blessing for the bereaved rather than the deceased — acknowledging that life becomes 'strange' after loss.
Best moment: Read during the service
Pairs with: Danny Boy, Tears in Heaven
Let's Drink to the Dead Already
Traditional Irish
Let's drink to the dead already, And hurrah for the next that dies!
— Traditional Irish
Traditional Irish wake toast — short, punchy, capturing the Irish tradition of celebrating death alongside mourning.
Best moment: At the wake, as a toast
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most popular Irish funeral blessing?
"May the Road Rise Up to Meet You" is the most popular Irish funeral blessing worldwide. It is used at virtually every Irish funeral and is recognised by Irish communities everywhere. The blessing asks for God's protection through life's journey and ends with "May God hold you in the palm of His hand."
What is the difference between an Irish blessing and a funeral poem?
An Irish blessing is a prayer or benediction spoken over the living or the dead, often beginning with "May..." and invoking God, nature, or both. A funeral poem is a literary work reflecting on death, grief, or remembrance. In practice, the line blurs: "May the Road Rise" is both a blessing and poetry. Blessings tend to be spoken to the congregation; poems are read about the deceased.
Can non-Irish people use Irish funeral poems?
Absolutely. Irish blessings and poems have universal themes of comfort, nature, and peace that transcend nationality. "May the Road Rise Up to Meet You" is used at funerals worldwide regardless of heritage. "Deep Peace" resonates with anyone who finds comfort in nature. The Irish literary tradition belongs to the world.
What are the differences between traditional and modern Irish funeral poems?
Traditional Irish funeral poems are anonymous blessings and prayers passed down through centuries: "May the Road Rise," "Deep Peace," "An Old Irish Blessing." Modern Irish funeral poems come from named poets: Yeats, John O'Donohue, Seamus Heaney. Traditional poems tend to be shorter and more prayer-like; modern poems are more literary and personal.
Is The Parting Glass a poem or a song?
The Parting Glass is both. It originated as a traditional Irish and Scottish folk song, likely from the 17th century or earlier. It is regularly sung at Irish wakes and funerals. However, its lyrics work beautifully when read aloud as a poem. Many funeral services include it as a reading rather than a song, especially when no singer is available.