Libraries NI invites the public to explore how death has been experienced through the lenses of history, culture and community

Libraries NI invites the public to explore how death has been experienced through the lenses of history, culture and community
Published 04 Nov 2025

Let's talk about Death, Dying and Grief

Libraries NI is inviting the public to take part in a thought-provoking week of events and discussions exploring how death has been understood across time and cultures.

Running from Monday 17 to Friday 21 November 2025, Let’s Talk About… Death, Dying and Grief will feature a diverse programme of talks, workshops, exhibitions, and storytelling events taking place in libraries and online.

The initiative aims to examine conversations around death, dying and bereavement, looking at how different communities, past and present, have marked loss, honoured the dead, and found meaning in mortality.

Confirmed speakers include Professor Gabriel Cooney (UCD) on prehistoric burial practices in Ireland, Dr Nisha Tandon (ArtsEkta) on cultural attitudes to death around the world, and Professor Eileen Murphy (QUB) on children’s burial grounds in Ireland. Visitors can also enjoy storytelling sessions on Irish wake traditions, music and folklore events, and online talks exploring topics from ancient Egypt to the American Wake.

Alongside these events, a special exhibition titled ‘Famous Last Words: Reflections on Life, Death and Legacy’ will be on display in libraries across Northern Ireland, bringing together powerful and memorable final words from history, literature, and popular culture.

Speaking about the initiative, Chief Executive of Libraries NI Dr Jim O’Hagan said:

“Death and grief are universal experiences and yet they’re often surrounded by silence. This programme is about creating open, welcoming spaces to reflect, share stories, and learn from how people across history and cultures have faced death, and in doing so, celebrated life.”

The week will also include a practical Advanced Planning Workshop, delivered in partnership with Compassionate Communities and Macmillan, offering advice on how to prepare for the future and support loved ones through loss.

All events are free of charge, and leaflets and reading lists will be available in libraries and online with details of organisations offering further information and support.

Events

Event Name Event Details Start Date and Time End Date and Time Library Booking
Melting Words – Art of Life  

Explore life’s final chapter through creativity in this mindful art workshop, part of The Art of Life Project by Bailieborough Creative Hub. Using art and reflection,
this session offers a gentle space to explore how we talk, or don’t talk, about death and dying, and what those conversations can mean for the living.

 

Booking essential.

t: 028 8244 0733

 17/11/2025 10:30am 17/11/2025 11:30am Omagh Library See event details to check if booking is essential (phone/email). Otherwise, if the event is not virtual (via Zoom) then simply call into the library at the time of the event.
Death in the Early Christian Period  

Discover how our ancestors merged ancient beliefs with new faiths in early
Ireland. This illustrated talk uncovers how burial traditions evolved from pre-
Christian to Early Christian times and is a fascinating glimpse into the rituals,
sites, and stories that shaped how people once viewed death and the afterlife.
 

Speakers:
Willie Drennan is a musician, storyteller and writer from County Antrim whose
work draws richly on Ulster-Scots heritage and folklore.
Ed Luke is a local historian mapping ancient sites across Mid and East Antrim
and the Causeway Coast and Glens, revealing the layers of belief embedded
in the local landscape.

 

Booking essential.

t: 028 2563 3950

 18/11/2025 11:00am 18/11/2025 12 noon Ballymena Central Library See event details to check if booking is essential (phone/email). Otherwise, if the event is not virtual (via Zoom) then simply call into the library at the time of the event.
Symbolism in Belfast City Cemetery  

What do the carvings and monuments of Belfast City Cemetery really 
mean? Join historian Tom Hartley for an evocative exploration of the 
symbols that reflect humanity’s age-old attempt to understand death, and 
life beyond it.
Speaker: Tom Hartley is a historian, author and former Lord Mayor of 
Belfast. His tours and books on Belfast’s cemeteries have helped countless 
visitors uncover the stories etched in stone across the city’s resting places.

 

Booking essential.
t: 028 9050 9212
e: fallsroad.library@librariesni.org.uk

 18/11/2025 1:00pm 18/11/2025 2:00pm Falls Road Library See event details to check if booking is essential (phone/email). Otherwise, if the event is not virtual (via Zoom) then simply call into the library at the time of the event.
Understanding Your Grief Workshop  

A compassionate space to begin making sense of loss. Led by CRUSE Bereavement Support, this workshop offers insights and guidance to help participants navigate grief and find comfort in shared experience.


Facilitators: CRUSE Bereavement Support is the leading organisation
in Northern Ireland providing free, confidential support to people experiencing loss.

 

Booking essential.

t: 028 8676 3702

 18/11/2025 5:30pm 18/11/2025 7:00pm Cookstown Library See event details to check if booking is essential (phone/email). Otherwise, if the event is not virtual (via Zoom) then simply call into the library at the time of the event.
Death and Burial in Ireland 8000 BC – AD 400 with special reference to Ulster  

From the first traces of humanity in Ireland to the dawn of Christianity, burial customs tell a powerful story of belief and belonging. Join Professor Gabriel Cooney for a thought-provoking look at how the treatment of the dead reveals what early societies valued most.

Speaker: Professor Gabriel Cooney, Emeritus Professor of Celtic Archaeology at University College Dublin, is one of Ireland’s leading experts on Neolithic life and death. His research focuses on mortuary practices and the ways they reflect identity and community.

Booking essential.

t: 028 9050 9150

 19/11/2025 12 noon 19/11/2025 1:00pm Belfast Central Library See event details to check if booking is essential (phone/email). Otherwise, if the event is not virtual (via Zoom) then simply call into the library at the time of the event.
The Irish Wake  

A storyteller’s journey into the heart of one of Ireland’s most enduring 
traditions. Stephen O’Hara brings to life the folklore, rituals and 
superstitions that surround the Irish wake, a unique celebration of 
life, death and community.
Speaker: Stephen O’Hara is a storyteller from Cushendun with a 
passion for Irish mythology and the customs that shaped rural life.
His performances weave together humour, history and humanity.

 

Booking essential.
t: 028 7774 1475
e: dungiven.library@librariesni.org.uk 

 19/11/2025 6:00pm 19/11/2025 7:00pm Dungiven Library See event details to check if booking is essential (phone/email). Otherwise, if the event is not virtual (via Zoom) then simply call into the library at the time of the event.
Faith Funerals  

From ritual to remembrance, faith shapes how we say goodbye. Facilitators from ArtsEkta share insights into funeral traditions across cultures and religions, exploring how diverse
beliefs find common ground in honouring the departed.

Facilitators: ArtsEkta is a multi-award-winning intercultural arts organisation and the team behind the Belfast Mela. Their work celebrates cultural diversity and human connection through creativity and shared experience.

Booking essential.

t: 028 9050 9228

 20/11/2025 1:00pm 20/11/2025 2:00pm Ormeau Road Library See event details to check if booking is essential (phone/email). Otherwise, if the event is not virtual (via Zoom) then simply call into the library at the time of the event.
The Irish Wake  

Cushendun storyteller Stephen O’Hara returns to share more 
tales and traditions surrounding the Irish wake, from heartfelt 
customs to haunting folklore. This is an evening rich in 
memory, myth and meaning.

 

Booking essential.

t: 028 9083 3797
e: glengormley.library@librariesni.org.uk 
 

 20/11/2025 6:30pm 20/11/2025 7:30pm Glengormley Library See event details to check if booking is essential (phone/email). Otherwise, if the event is not virtual (via Zoom) then simply call into the library at the time of the event.
Children’s Burial Grounds (Cillíní) and the Early Modern Religious Landscape  

Uncover the poignant story of Ireland’s children’s burial grounds, sacred spaces outside consecrated land that reflect faith, exclusion and resilience.

Professor Eileen Murphy sheds light on these quiet resting places and the
lives they represent in Ireland’s religious past.

Speaker: Professor Eileen Murphy is a leading bioarchaeologist whose
research focuses on how human remains reveal the lives of past peoples.
She is the founding editor of Childhood in the Past, an international journal
exploring children’s experiences through history.

Booking essential.

t: 028 9050 9223

 21/11/2025 11:00am 21/11/2025 12 noon Lisburn Road Library See event details to check if booking is essential (phone/email). Otherwise, if the event is not virtual (via Zoom) then simply call into the library at the time of the event.
Irish Wakes' Storytelling Session with Stephen O'Hara  

Experience storytelling steeped in Irish folklore as Stephen 
O’Hara explores the customs, humour and humanity of the 
traditional wake. This is a moving reminder of how communities 
once gathered to celebrate life in the face of loss.

Booking essential. 
t: 028 7083 2712
e: portstewart.library@librariesni.org.uk 

 21/11/2025 11:00am 21/11/2025 12 noon Portstewart Library See event details to check if booking is essential (phone/email). Otherwise, if the event is not virtual (via Zoom) then simply call into the library at the time of the event.