The Dead

Michael Furey live passionately and then he died. Now that Gabriel has realized what it actually means to live i believe he may die as well, it certainly seems to be the case as his soul is fading into that other world.

as for the coffin monks i don't think i was very clear. they repent for the world, dying each day in order to pay for a lifetime of sins. but they don't live passionately. they, like this story, have history(a past) and their present. perhaps this story is a form of repentance. or maybe a prayer.