Keeping a death rite alive: Kevin Toolis' wake of his father turned into book and stage show

Kevin Toolis waked his father in the traditional manner on Achill Island, and the resulting book has been adapted into a stage show at Skibbereen Arts Festival, writes Ellie O’Byrne

KEVIN Toolis was no stranger to death and dying when his father passed away. Having worked as a TV documentary director and a magazine writer for The Guardian, he’d delved into subject matter including suicide bombing in the Middle East and Aids amongst Kenyan sex workers, as well as penning Rebel Hearts, an in-depth exploration into the lives of IRA men.