The Irish Keen

“As if the Banshee and Bean Chaointe themselves have called out through the echoes of time, Mary has translated their call for us all to learn … to remember the significance of the keen. As grief continues to compound and ferment in our societies, the keen gives us permission to vocalize and churn stagnant sorrows into a medicine that we all could benefit from.” * Anne-Marie Keppel, author of Death Nesting *
“This is much more than just a book. It’s a cauldron spilling over with the wisdom of the Irish seabhean (wise woman). Step inside, keen with Mary, and heal with the Irish sinsear (ancestors).” * Phyllida Anam-Áire, author of A Celtic Book of Dying *
“Mary Mc Laughlin sensitively and expertly brings us the deep, authentic history, lore, and practice of the keen, from the ancestral wailing of the Goddess Brighid through to the grief circles of our own time; by weaving together the ancient craft of the keen as a conduit for personal and communal grief, she brings it into fresh use and remembrance. This classic handbook is for all who grieve and those who would lift their mourning into the praise of memory.” * Caitlín Matthews, author of The Art of Celtic Seership and coauthor of The Original Petit Ettei *
“Open any page of this masterpiece to be enchanted and educated in this mystical world of an caoineadh—the ancient Irish, multi-faceted ritual of grieving for the dead. Mary Mc Laughlin has beautifully and artistically defined the Irish Keen on every level, from the academic to the historical, from the spiritual to the mythological, situating it all within a wide global overview. This valuable book excavates a new pathway through hitherto uncharted territories, and I cannot overstress my enthusiasm for this tour de force.” * Rev. Nóirín Ní Riain, PhD, singer, theologian, and author of Theosony *
“Mary Mc Laughlin gives us a tantalizing look into a world of feminine magic where the Keening Woman guided souls through the death doorway to the Banshee of the Fairy Faith. Mary’s in-depth academic knowledge, mystical experience, and love for the subject shine through every page, reviving this sacred tradition.” * Seren Bertrand, coauthor of Magdalene Mysteries *
“Mary Mc Laughlin’s The Irish Keen exquisitely resurrects a mystical and ancient tradition at a time when it is most needed. Her lived devotion to unearthing its history and mystery opens a pathway toward healing and peace around the one thing we all share, and many of us fear—death. This book is a gift to both the living and the ancestors.” * Kate Murphy, founder of the Feminine Code Priestess School *
“Mc Laughlin approaches this delicate subject with sensitivity and empathy. Her detailed exploration of this pre-Celtic tradition is undertaken with the academic rigor one would expect in light of her knowledge and experience. Known here in the West of Ireland more widely as ‘Keeling,’ this tradition may still be witnessed in Christian and pagan funeral rites throughout the West and is truly a practice that touches the soul and remains fixed in the memory of all who experience it.” * Jon G. Hughes, author of Love Philtres *
“Mary is such a treasure of wisdom when it comes to the Irish Keen and the ancestors who carried these traditions. I consider Mary herself to be an elder of these traditions, holding them with deep respect and reverence, rooted in true relationship and understanding. This book is a gift to all who long to remember the ritual of the keen as a sacred piece of Ireland’s culture, past and present.” * Tara Brading, women’s educator, storyteller, and songstress *
“I have had the pleasure of working with Mary over the years. She is a lady with unsurpassed knowledge, love, and passion for the ancient practice of keening.” * Aldo Jordan, shamanic practitioner and teacher at The Irish School of Shamanic Studies *
“The Irish Keen is about a mysterious, deep, and complex subject. Mary Mc Laughlin writes about it with a vivid clarity that offers not just insight into the mystery, but also into our shared, and sometimes lost, traditions and history.” * Adrian May, community fellow and former deputy director of creative writing at Essex University, UK *

Mary Mc Laughlin, PhD, was born and raised in Northern Ireland and has lived, taught, and sung her way through Ireland, England, and the United States. Internationally acknowledged for her singing of Irish songs, songwriting, and teaching, she writes and teaches about the keen online. She currently lives in England.

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