“I’ve never felt more marooned on an island than now, and this is not my island. Ireland, my island, is across the water. I’ve been thinking about it a lot, the people, the smell - of the wet ground, of hops - the sense of humour but also the narratives that come from the craft, the techniques and the history. My Great-Uncle Barney passed away a few days ago and the funeral tradition of Ireland is so amazing. It’s such a moment of coming together, of family. It’s always uplifting and ceremonial. All the mirrors are covered up so the soul can’t leave the body and escape and, of course, there’s a corpse in the living room. But there are always kids running around, there’s lots of tea, cold sandwiches,…
