Originally published 2019-10-21.
For most, funerals are no joking matter; they’re a time of gloom and serious reflection, a time of grief. But some believe that funerals should be a time of celebration, laughter through tears, and the perfect time to commemorate the lives of the ones we have lost. And at times, those that have such beliefs are the people who have passed away.
One video recently went viral and it features footage from an Irish man’s funeral. As family and friends neared the casket, lowered into the open grave, suddenly a voice comes out of nowhere and proclaims, “Hello?” followed by a loud banging, seemingly coming out of the casket.
While the music of bagpipes is fading into the distance, the voice continues: “Let me out, it’s dark in here”. At first, people appear to be confused as to what is happening, but soon, laughter starts to take over.
Watch the video of the funeral recording:
(The Facebook video originally embedded here is no longer available.)
Here’s how people on the internet reacted:
A familiar sense of humour returns
The recording changes the mood because the voice belongs to the person everyone has gathered to remember. The joke is therefore personal, not simply an interruption of a solemn occasion. It allows those present to recognise something of his character while they are grieving. The laughter and sadness can occupy the same moment without cancelling each other out.
There is no single proper tone for remembrance
Another family might find comfort in quiet, music or an entirely different kind of gathering. The video's appeal does not make humour the right choice for everyone. A useful conversation, when welcome, is about what feels characteristic of the person being remembered and respectful to those present. The most meaningful detail may be one that only their own friends and family fully understand.
Shay Bradley’s last laugh
The man in the video was Shay Bradley, a veteran of the Irish Defence Forces, who died on 8 October 2019 after fighting cancer for three years. He was buried in Dublin on Saturday 12 October. He had recorded the message over lunch the year before with his son’s help, and his wife and grandchildren knew about it, but the younger mourners did not. In the recording he also announces: “This is Shay, I’m in the box!” His daughter Andrea wrote on Twitter: “What a man, to make us all laugh when we were incredibly sad,” and shared the video on Facebook with the hashtag #shayslastlaugh.
Sources: CTV News, 14 October 2019: Watch: Irish granddad pranks mourners from the grave 1News, 15 October 2019: Mourners in Ireland laugh-cry as man plays final prank from beyond the grave
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