Wake Food Traditions in Ireland: What to Bring, the Burco Boiler, and the Afters

The Kitchen Brigade

When someone dies in Ireland and the wake is held at home, the family's kitchen transforms into a hospitality centre that runs almost continuously for two to three days. But the immediate family rarely manages it themselves. By long-standing custom, neighbours, extended family, and friends form what's essentially a volunteer catering operation — quietly taking charge of the tea, sandwiches, and washing-up so the bereaved family can receive visitors and grieve.

This "kitchen brigade" arrives uninvited and gets to work. They bring their own food contributions, organise shifts, and keep the house functioning while dozens or hundreds of people pass through the front door — which stays open, unlatched, for the duration.

The Burco Boiler

No Irish wake runs without a Burco — the large commercial water-heating urn that sits on the kitchen counter and keeps boiling water available around the clock for the steady demand of tea and coffee. In rural areas, families who don't own one borrow from a neighbour, the local GAA club, or the parish hall.

The Burco has become such an iconic part of Irish wake culture that its appearance in the kitchen signals to the community that a death has occurred, often before the RIP.ie notice goes live. If you're helping set up a wake house, getting the Burco filled, plugged in, and heating should be one of the first things on the list.

What to Bring to the Wake House

If you're visiting a bereaved family, practical food contributions are more helpful than elaborate gestures. Traditional offerings include:

• Trays of ham or chicken sandwiches (pre-cut and ready to serve)
• Boxes of biscuits and tea bags
• Home-baked cakes, scones, or brown bread
• Cartons of milk and sugar
• Cold meats and salads for the family's own meals between visitors

Close neighbours sometimes bring household items the family might need — extra teacups, a large teapot, dining chairs, or cutlery to handle the volume of guests. Nobody keeps track of who brought what. The point is to keep the house running without the family having to think about logistics.

Avoid bringing anything that requires preparation or oven space. The kitchen is already working at full capacity, and adding complexity helps nobody.

The Afters: Pub Reception After the Funeral

After the burial or cremation committal on Day 3, the community gathers for "the Afters" — a reception at a local pub, hotel, or community hall. This is where the formal mourning period begins to ease and people share stories, laugh, and reconnect.

The format is usually simple: soup and sandwiches, tea and coffee, and a bar tab covered by the family. Some families opt for a more structured sit-down meal, but the traditional Afters is deliberately casual — people come and go, conversations drift between tables, and the bar stays open until the family decides to wind things down.

Booking the Afters

If you're organising a funeral, contact the pub or hotel as early as possible — ideally on Day 1 when you're confirming arrangements with the funeral director. Many establishments have dedicated function rooms and standard funeral catering packages. They're accustomed to the short notice and can put together soup, sandwiches, and tea service quickly.

Costs vary significantly. A rural pub might charge €10–€15 per head for soup and sandwiches. Hotels and larger venues in towns and cities charge more, particularly if you want a private room. The bar tab is separate and depends entirely on the size of the crowd and how long the gathering runs.

Wake Food for Multi-Day Events

Planning food for a two or three-day wake requires thinking in terms of sustained, rolling hospitality rather than a single event. The morning after the first evening of the wake, the family still needs feeding. So do the neighbours who kept vigil overnight. And a fresh wave of visitors arrives mid-morning.

Stock up on basics: bread, butter, cold meats, cheese, eggs, and fruit. The simpler the food, the easier it is to keep going. Elaborate dishes go untouched while the sandwich platters vanish.

For a complete guide to managing wake logistics alongside the liturgical, legal, and financial aspects of an Irish funeral, see our Catholic Funeral — Ireland planning toolkit.