The magazine for Funeral Directors in Ireland
2016 Vol.16 No 3
Celtic Coffins Ltd. 13 G Axis Business Park Tullamore, Co.Offaly Te l : 0 9 0 6 4 2 5 0 2 2 Peter: 087 960 7521 David: 087 063 5917
The Padre Pio
The Bog Oak
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Tuesday 3rd Wednesday 4th October 2017
Citywest Hotel & Conference Centre If your business is providing funeral products to the IreLand and uk market the Funeral Times Trade show ireland 2017 is a must for your sales campaign There is a large range of space options and exhibition areas to choose from no matter the size of your business
Book your space now! Call 028/048 3835 5060 or email sales@funeraltimes.com
The magazine for Funeral Directors in Ireland
New Tallaght funeral home.............................................. 4
Glasnevin unveil Dardistown Crematorium................... 42
Contents
William hands over NAFD chain................................... 60
Editorial and Advertising contacts: Graham Brown | Ruth McQuillan Vikki Crangle | Paula Hanna Tel: (028) 3835 5060 (048) from ROI Funeral Times is owned and published by: InHouse Publications, 1 Annagh Drive, Craigavon, Co. Armagh BT63 5WF email: sales@funeraltimes.com
Superb new Tallaght funeral home.................................. 4 IAFD News...................................................................... 8 Kirkwoods open in Lisburn............................................ 17 Massey Bros. expansion continues................................ 20 BIE News....................................................................... 24 Órla’s carriage................................................................ 30 Do you ask the question?............................................... 35 SAIF News..................................................................... 37 PEAI News..................................................................... 40 Glasnevin to open new Dardistown Crematorium......... 42 It’s all #planesailing for David....................................... 47 Dennis Daulton on the hairy subject of shaving............ 48 Bless me father… by Padraic Cawley............................ 51 The scythe-stone is not the thing says Mattie Lennon... 53 NAFD Belfast Conference............................................. 55 NAFD News................................................................... 57 New NAFD President takes office................................. 60 Infectious risks after death by Nora Murphy................. 65 Jennifer Muldowney visits New Orleans expo 2016..... 70 Communication tips - from Dr Bill Webster.................. 73 Hartsdale cemetery (Part 2)........................................... 76 Aer Lingus reassures funeral directors on repatriation.. 78 Classifieds...................................................................... 79
Disclaimer: Readers are urged to support the magazine’s advertisers, but the publishers cannot be held responsible for any claims made or implied in the advertisements. The publishers reserve the right to refuse advertising. Opinions expressed in this magazine by contributing writers and advertisers are not necessarily those of the publishers. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information contributed for inclusion in this magazine but no legal responsibility will be accepted by the publishers for loss arising from the use of published articles. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior consent. Articles and photographs for inclusion are welcomed but the publishers cannot accept responsibility for their loss or damage however caused. FuneralTimes | 3
The impressive looking new Tallaght Funeral Home
Superb new Tallaght funeral home B
rian McElroy Funeral Directors has just celebrated ten years in business. Having become firmly established thanks to impeccable attention to detail and quality of service across the last decade, the company conducted well in excess of 500 funerals last year between its branches at Crumlin Village and at Monastery Road, Clondalkin Village. They are now proud to present their magnificent new Tallaght Funeral
4 | FuneralTimes
Home, already operating, situated at The Square, Tallaght (opposite Tallaght Stadium, home of Shamrock Rovers F.C.) With an investment of over â‚Ź750,000 in the facility, Brian believes that the offering will go a long way to raise the nature of service provided locally to new levels. The former car showroom boasts four beautiful and immaculate Reposing Rooms as well as a full coffin/casket showroom, offering those in mourning the chance to add that personal touch. Brian emphasizes how only the highest quality materials and furnishings have been used throughout the Home, creating a dignified and elegant atmosphere throughout. Although the premises are already open for business, Brian intends to hold an open day for both the public and colleagues in the next few weeks.
FuneralTimes | 5
Irish Association of Funeral Directors Promoting Excellence in Funeral Service
IAFD News
IAFD host Health and Safety Workshops in conjunction with Regional Meetings
The IAFD members who attended the Health and Safety Workshop in Waterford in April were delighted with the quality and content of the very informative and interesting training session
T
he recent IAFD Regional meetings held in Donegal town and Waterford were preceded by free Health & Safety sessions, focused on the needs of funeral directors. These health & safety briefings are vitally important to all members of the funeral profession and we would encourage all our members, and non members of the Association, to attend any future sessions, which have been described as “very informative and relevant”. The workshops are being offered FREE to all IAFD members, and at a fee of €100 for non members. The workshops are
8 | FuneralTimes
delivered by Mr Tom Oxberry (FPPI) who is recognised as one of the leading trainers in relation to Health & Safety Regulation in the country, with particular emphasis on Health and Safety in the Funeral Service. These workshops are a great opportunity for you and your company to review your existing health & safety standards and ensure that you are up to date with current legislation. If you require any further information or you wish to book a place on a future workshop, please contact Mary O Shea, 086 1541839 or maryryranoshea@eircom.net
Irish Association of Funeral Directors Promoting Excellence in Funeral Service
IAFD News
IAFD President at NAFD Banquet in Belfast
L-R: William Millar, Gerard and Patricia Clarke with Mervyn Storey MLA pictured at the NAFD Banquet in Belfast Gerard Clarke (President of the IAFD) represents the association at the recent NAFD Banquet in Belfast
Why Join the IAFD? For just a little more than €1cent a day you get: • Professional Indemnity Insurance
• Code of Practice
• Membership of professional organisation recognised by the general public
• Access to IAFD Education Programme • Excellence Programme
• Unique all island network of funeral directors • Representation of members with Government, Local Authorities and Media • Funeral Directors led organisation for promoting and developing standards of funeral service
• Board of Funeral professionals available to assist Members • Dispute Resolution and Mediation • Legal Advisory Service • Links to other trade Associations
Applications for membership of IAFD: Please visit www.iafd.ie and download an Application Form. FuneralTimes | 9
Irish Association of Funeral Directors Promoting Excellence in Funeral Service
IAFD News
Gerard Clarke (President) Gerard Clarke & Sons Funeral Home Main Street, Balisodare, Sligo Ph: 071-9130700 Mobile: 087-2565310 Email: gerardclarkeandsons@eircom.net
Mary O’Shea (Education Committee Chairperson) O’Shea’s Funeral Directors New Street, Killarney. Ph: 064-6637123 Email: osheatim@eircom.net www.iafd.ie
John Foley (First Vice President) Jennings Funeral Directors 81 Amien Street Dublin 1 Ph: 01-8555511
Colm Kieran (P.R.O.) Kieran Bros. Funeral Directors Kingscourt, Co. Cavan. colmkiernan@gmail.com Mobile: 087-6218740, Ph: 042-9667309 Email: colmkieran@gmail.com
Michael Crowley (Immediate Past President) Crowley Funeral Directors Bothar Saclay, Ballincollig, Co. Cork. Ph: 021- 4874777 Email: info@crowleyfuneraldirectors.ie Mary Cunniffe (Hon. Secretary) Massey Bros Funeral Home Templeogue Village, Dublin 6W Mobile: 085-8010742, Ph: 014-907601 Email: mary.cunniffe@hotmail.com
Edwina Fitzgerald Fitzgerald Funeral Directors Channel Road Rush Co. Dublin Ph: 01-8438772 E-Mail: fitzgeraldfuneraldirectors@gmail.com Andre Thompson Thompson Funeral Directors 19 Barrack Street Waterford Co. Waterford Ph: 051-874159 E-Mail: info@thompsonfunerals.ie
Dermot McCarthy (Treasurer) McCarthy’s Funeral Home Gurrane, Banteer, Cork. Ph: 029-56044 Email: dermot@mccarthyfuneraldirectors.com
Irish Association of Funeral Directors Promoting Excellence in Funeral Service
Dates for your diary: Thursday 22nd September 2016 - Hodson Bay Hotel, Athlone Regional Meeting - 7pm Saturday 19th November 2016 - Glasshouse Hotel, Sligo AGM - 2pm 10 | FuneralTimes
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Lakelands Crematorium, Dublin Rd, Cavan, Co. Cavan Tel: 049 4362200 / mob: 086 2458489 email: info@LakelandsCrematorium.ie www.LakelandsCrematorium.ie
Lakelands going from strength to strength L akelands Crematorium is situated on a superb site on the Dublin Road close to the N3 and N55 providing great transport links to all parts of the country. With six weeks remaining until Lakelands Crematorium reaches its first year in business, we have already made our target for the number of cremations we had hoped to achieve in our first year. The feedback we have received from funeral directors, and more importantly the families who attend the crematorium, thanking us for such a professional and personalised service, gives us a great sense of pride. We will work hard to keep our standards high right from the initial phone call, through to the very end and will are available to offer help and advice with all aspects of the cremation process. Each week we receive a number of visitors to our premises asking us if it is possible to take a tour of the crematorium, and explain the process to them, as they had spoken to family or friends who had attended a service with us
and the positive review they had received was something they wished to see for themselves. A number of families have returned to sit in the beautiful remembrance gardens which the crematorium overlooks. The garden includes a memorial wall and a relaxing water feature. “We have worked very hard to create a peaceful and tranquil setting in order to provide a sense of comfort to grieving families and friends. We have welcomed families and funeral directors from the highest point in Donegal to as far away as Kerry, and at Lakelands Crematorium we will continue to provide a first rate, professional service and the team here will cooperate fully with the funeral director and assist in any way we can. Lakelands Crematorium is open 7 days a week and there is no surcharge for weekends or bank holidays. For more information you can contact Declan on (049) 4362200 or mobile 086 2458489. Alternatively you can email info@ lakelandscrematorium.ie or visit the website www.lakelandscrematorium.ie.
Gibneys of Oldcastle collect New Hearse R. Gibney of Gibneys of Oldcastle Funeral Directors, collects his new hearse from Fearghas Quinn Hearse and Limousines FuneralTimes | 13
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Grand opening of Dignity Group’s latest funeral home K
irkwoods, part of the Dignity Group, officially opened their new Lisburn branch on Sunday 1st May 2016. Lisburn is the ninth Dignity Funeral Home in Northern Ireland and the firm have been able to utilise the strong Kirkwoods brand, a well-known and respected name in South and East Belfast as well as North Down. Dignity Regional Manager Anthony Driver said, “We are delighted to have acquired these premises, right in the centre of the city. The former Quaker Meeting House is a beautiful, landmark building and visitors have been impressed by the lovely funeral church which we have refurbished.” At the official opening, local guests met Alex Redpath, Deputy Mayor of Lisburn and Castlereagh Borough Council, and William Millar, National Association of Funeral Directors President, who unveiled a plaque to mark the occasion.
Alex Redpath, Deputy Mayor of Lisburn and Castlereagh Borough Council with Emma Dowling, Lisburn Branch Manager; Anthony Driver, Regional Manager; and William Millar, President of the National Association of Funeral Directors Revd. Percy Patterson performed the dedication and the guests were given a tour of the superb facilities by branch manager Emma Dowling. FuneralTimes | 17
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Third-generation family company opens new branch in Blackrock One of Dublin’s longest established funeral directors has signalled plans to significantly expand its business over the next five years with an initial €500,000 investment in new premises with state-of-the-art facilities.
T
he third-generation family business opened a new branch in Blackrock in May, bringing its total branch network to ten. As part of its wider expansion strategy, the company has also refurbished its funeral home in Dublin’s Thomas Street and created a stateof-the-art mortuary facility at its Cork Street premises. Speaking at the opening of the new branch at Newtown Park, Blackrock, managing director Freddie Maguire said that the company has ambitious plans to bring new products and service to market over the next 24-months, as well as open a number of new branches in key locations around Dublin city and county over the next five years, both of which have the potential to create up to 15 new jobs.
20 | FuneralTimes
“Massey Bros. is a growing business, evidenced by the fact that we now arrange approximately one-in-four of all funerals in the areas in which we have a presence,” said Freddie Maguire. “The service we offer is one that enables families to honour the lives of their loved ones. To do that in a meaningful way, we have to be innovative, particularly as today there is no such thing as a ‘standard’ funeral. Over the last number of years we have developed a range of new products and services such as a Harley-Davidson hearse, spaces for civil funerals and prepaid international repatriation funeral plans helping us to reach a far wider target audience and deliver steady and consistent market share growth. Continued on page 23
Pearson Repatriation Service (UK) A small independent family run company offering a fast and reliable service 24 hours a day.
As part of our service to you, we can: • Repatriate the deceased from the UK • Provide a coffin and interior • Provide embalming services
Telephone +44 (0)1484 844289 Proprietor Clive J Pearson LMBIFD. DIP.FD. MBIE Manchester Road, Marsden, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, UK, HD7 6EY FuneralTimes | 21
FEARGHAS QUINN HEARSE & LIMOUSINES
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“Massey Bros. has always been about serving the local community – that ethos is something that has stood the test of time for the business and is something that we replicate in all of the areas in which we operate. The importance of family is also something that has stayed with us – family taking care of family – ours always has been a family business and, I hope, always will be. “Blackrock is a strategic location for us, not least because it is an area that we, as a family, have had a long association with. And, we consider it a privilege to have the opportunity to serve the people of the south county Dublin area.” Massey Bros. is the original ‘Massey’ funeral provider in Dublin and was established in the Liberties by the current managing director Freddie Maguire’s mother – Cissy Maguire (née Massey) – in the 1930s. And, despite being perceived to be a male dominated industry, the female influence continues today as half of the company’s board members and employees are female and seven of the company’s ten funeral homes are managed by women.
The company’s new branch at Newtown Park, Blackrock comprises a space in which families may hold a ceremony of their choice; a Skype facility so that mourners living overseas may attend a funeral via the internet; two chapels of rest; and a small garden of reflection.
Gary Currie Irish Repatriations Dungannon, Co. Tyrone
• Daily service operates to and from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales • Operating 24 hours a day • Quotations available on request
For further information contact: 07789 134798 FuneralTimes | 23
BIE News Southern Division
2
016 has got off to a great start with the theme for the year being Education. The 2nd quarterly meeting was held in April at George Mullins Funeral Home in Naas. Members from all corners of the country and division attended. Glyn Tallon gave a very informative presentation on embalming infants. This led to good discussion and was beneficial to all. Nora Murphy gave a demonstration on hair and styling and had some interesting tips for all. There was also good discussion between the attendance on individual cases that they have encountered.
As education is the theme for 2016 we are working hard to get industry professionals to come and speak at the 3rd quarterly meeting. Due to holiday season, the next meeting will be held in August. The date will be published on the website as soon as it is finalised. Looking forward to seeing you all at the next meeting. John Hawe (Irish Division)
Northern Division
I
hope everyone is enjoying the summer sunshine! Long may it continue. The 2nd Divisional Meeting of 2016 was held in McKiernan & Sons Funeral Home, Kilrea, Co. Derry on Wednesday 13th April 2016. There was a strong attendance, including some of our student members. Margaret Davis delivered a very informative and powerful presentation entitled ‘Embracing The Concept Of GriefWhy Embalm?’ This focused on the values and importance of why we embalm. This not only highlighted some of the challenges that we as embalmers and funeral directors face in today’s world, but also provided solutions. It is great to have people with such skills in our organisation who are prepared to share their experiences which invariably helps all the families we deal with.
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Following Margaret’s presentation, Brian Dougan, a Dodge Company representative, delivered a presentation on Dodge’s Disinfectant Range. Our sincere thanks to Andrew Shepherd for providing the trade stand on the evening. On a personal note, I would like to thank Margaret and all my family, especially Carolyn and Gregory, for helping host the meeting in our funeral home. The 3rd and final meeting of the BIE Northern Ireland Division for 2016 will take place at O’Neills Funeral Home, Belfast on Wednesday 14th September 2016 and I would encourage as many members as possible to attend. Hope to see you all there. Take Care Chairman
List of BIE Officers and appointed representatives for 2015/2016 National President: Mr Craig Caldwell (North American Division) Imm. Past President: Mr Graeme Easton (Scottish Division) National PRO & National General Secretary: Mrs Karen Caney FBIE White Meadow Cottage, Brailsford, Derby DE6 3DA Tel: 01332 349035(BIE) Mobile: 07786 432014 karencaney@btopenworld.com National Treasurer: Michael Liddle MBIE 10 Yew Tree Close, Silsoe MK45 4EQ Business Tel: 01582 490005 Home Tel: 01525 860117 michael@silsloe.wanadoo.co.uk Editor: Gwen Schofield MBIE 9 Seymour Walk, Meltham, Holmfirth HD9 4BP Home Tel: 01484 851994 Mobile: 07778 279100 gwen.schofield@ntlworld.com Master Fellow: Ken Morgan FBIE “Evergreens”, 36 Coley Road, Little Haywood, Stafford ST18 0UW Home Tel: 01889 881223 Business Tel: 01902 878425 Mobile: 07970 831760 k.m.morgan@virgin.net Student Liaison Officer: Timothy Cain MBIE Hillcrest, 38 Main Street, Ashby de la Launde LN4 3JG Home Tel: 01526 321396 jackie@lymn.co.uk
Irish Division Chairperson and 1st National Council Representative: Mr John Hawe MBIE 12 Meadow Vale, Smith’s Road, Charleville, Co. Cork Home Tel: 00353 6389280 Mobile: 087 6390087 jmhawe@eircom.net
Northern Ireland Division Chairman Michael Og McKiernan MBIE 51 Agivey Road, Kilrea, Co. Londonderry BT51 5UU Mobile: 07515 746541 Michael-ogmckiernan@hotmail.co.uk
2nd National Council Representative and Past Chairperson: Mr Aidan Walsh MBIE Cappoquin, Co. Waterford Mobile: 00353 87 2847831
Vice Chairman Laurence O'Neill 98 Stewartstown Road Belfast BT11 9JP Tele: 028 90 620099 Email: oneill8210@hotmail.com
National Council Rep: Ms Barbara Fowley MBIE Killakee, Rathfarnham Dublin 16 Mobile: 086 191 1022
Secretary Margaret Davis MBIE 4 Back Road, Cargycreevy, Lisburn BT27 6TL Mobile: 07841 100249 Margaretdavis4@me.com
Secretary: Nora Murphy MBIE Tallon Mortuary Specialists 14 Academy Street, Navan, Co Meath T: 086 826 8876 Assistant Secretary: Susan Moran MBIE Maydown House, Aughraboura, Athy, Co. Kildare Mobile: 086 0619500 info@tallonmortuaryspecialists.com National Education Representative: Glyn Tallon Mortuary Specialist 14 Academy Street Navan Co Meath Tel:046 9029134 Mobile: 086 826 8876 Treasurer: Mrs A O’Reilly MBIE Church Street, Newmarket, Co. Cork Telephone: 029 60142 annaoreilly4@hotmail.com
Treasurer Andrew McMullan MBIE 22 High Street, Ballymoney, Co. Antrim BT53 6AQ Andrew@mcmullanfuneral.com 1st National Council Representative Ellison Sloan MBIE Telephone: 02838 336175 poots@fsni.info 2nd National Council Representative Marshall Lindsay MBIE 4 Beechgrove, Kilrea, Coleraine, Co. Londonderry BT51 5RW Telephone: 028 29 540945 marshalllindsay4@gmail.com 1st National Educational Committee Representative Pat Harley MBIE 67 Creggan Road, Londonderry BT48 9DA Mobile: 077128 99137 Phschoolofembalming@hotmail.com
Vice Chairman: Mr Ger O’Sullivan MBIE Mobile: 086 021 5075 FuneralTimes | 25
Finest quality grave markers
Pads and plates to suit all coffins and caskets
On the road with DJ MacNeice Summer has well and truly arrived in Ireland! The warm bright evenings are a welcome change to the long, dark, wet nights we had become accustomed to during the winter and spring
O
ne person who is really getting to appreciate the fine weather and beauty of this country is our sales representative on the road, Justin. He is travelling the roads in the DJ MacNeice van calling to funeral directors and embalmers up and down the country. His van is fully kitted out with samples of all of DJ MacNeice’s products. Be it handles or habits you are interested in, Justin will have it. He also keeps stock of the essential items such as coffin pads, grave markers and breast plates, so should you need to stock up on anything, he is the man to call. If you would like Justin to call to you, just contact the office and we can arrange it. Alternatively our Dublin office is open every weekday. We open through lunch, so you are welcome to visit anytime. Here we serve as a one stop shop for all your funeral and mortuary needs. The door is always open should you wish to pay us a visit, as many customers do. You can browse our extensive range of products which include coffin mountings and linings, funeral accessories such as grave markers, traffic cones and condolence books, all the way to cardboard coffins. We offer a customising service for condolence books and umbrellas. Just provide your business details and we can print them on condolence books and umbrellas in gold or silver. This is a great way to get your business name out there. Our full range of PCS registered embalming chemicals (the first PCS registered embalming chemicals in the country) are displayed in our show room. This is a must see for any embalmer! As well as embalming chemicals, we supply a full range of embalming products such as instruments, personal protective equipment and mortuary airbrush make-up kits. Our fully trained sales team will be on hand should you have any questions.
We are constantly updating our product range to bring you the latest innovations in the industry. If there is something we don’t stock that you want, we are more than happy to source it for you. If you can’t personally call, we have many other ways for you to place an order with us. We are always contactable by phone so you can call in an order anytime. This comes with the benefit of next day delivery so you can be confident you will have the products you need, when you need them. Alternatively, our extensive range of products is available to view on our website. You can place your quote request through our website and a friendly member of our sales team will contact you about your order. DJ MacNeice has a long history in the funeral industry but our aim has always stayed the same - to provide products of the highest quality at a competitive price while delivering excellent customer service. We look forward to doing business with you in the future. DJ MacNeice & Co. Ltd, 37a Barrow Road, Dublin Industrial Estate, Glasnevin, Dublin 11. 01-8828731 sales@djmacneice.com www.djmacneice.com FuneralTimes | 29
By Kate Hamilton, Mourning Cross Kate HAMILTON is the brains behind Mourningcross.com and in her spare time she created this blog as the go-to resource for anyone looking for information about funerals
Cardboard coffin became Órla’s carriage W
hen asked by Paul McEvoy Funeral Director to assist him with the funeral arrangements of Órla Mullins, aged 9, nearly two years ago, my heart sank with sorrow for her family. What I didn’t expect going into her house was a plain white cardboard coffin being creatively and carefully hand decorated by Órla’s mother, grandmother and sister. I asked Órla’s mum Sharon if she would share her story about her decision to move from a traditional coffin. What an inspirational family they are. When my daughter Órla was diagnosed with a terminal illness (Cystic Fibrosis) aged 7 years old, my world was turned upside down. A very quick 24 months later and I knew I was spending the last summer with my precious baby. During those last few weeks I thought a lot about her funeral, in fact I could think about nothing else, I needed to plan and organise and keep my mind busy. I researched palliative care and what to expect. I chose songs that I wanted played during her funeral. I decided what she would wear and which favourite items would go in her coffin. It then came to the choice of coffin. I had buried my father two months previous to Órla and, looking at choices available, I desperately needed a sign from 30 | FuneralTimes
him that this was ‘the one’ he would want, but alas they all appeared cold, dark and melancholy. In the end we chose one that was named Stanley “the name of the company my father had worked for most of his life” - the sign we had asked for. When it came to Órla, I wanted to be prepared, I wanted her final resting place to be quirky and funny, just like my little girl. I wanted pretty and girly, not dark woods and cold brass handles. I wanted something very personal so that her last send off was about me and her and no one else. It seems that a lot of people are feeling the same way, and the variety of different coffins available has increased immensely in the last few years. We have wicker, wool, and bamboo, to mention a few, and then there’s
the Eco coffins and cardboard variety. It was whilst browsing that I noticed a ‘decorate yourself ’ cardboard coffin. I knew straight away that this was what I was looking for, it couldn’t get any more personalised. When the day came that Órla passed I was dreading the coffin arriving, I wasn’t ready for her to leave her bed, her room. The coffin was placed on wheels in my kitchen. Suddenly the blank white box I chose seemed like a mammoth task that I had to undertake when I was at my lowest, when we were all at our lowest, but it had to be done. So we began drawing, painting, sticking. What I never imagined was how therapeutic and calming it was. All three of us put Órla’s favourite characters, pictures and sayings around the sides of the coffin. Our two cats meanwhile climbed on top and inside, also wanting to be part of it. We played loud music that Órla loved, we reminisced about the past, we laughed, we cried, we drank, and we even danced over the following 24 hours in our kitchen, in between popping in to see Órla in her bed in the next room. By the time her carriage was ready (we no longer saw it as a coffin), we were ready to say goodbye to our beautiful girl. All three of us felt we did her proud.  Órla had no big funeral, no traditional wake, just very
Órla Rose immediate family. She was a very special girl and never liked people around her, so our work was not to be paraded about but then that was never our intention, we just wanted a more personal resting place, but what we ended up with was an amazing experience that we shall never forget. Sharon has developed an inspirational blog. Visit: www.losingorlarose.com for more information.
FuneralTimes | 31
bringing it all together Tuesday 3rd Wednesday 4th October 2017 If your business is in providing funeral products to the Ireand and uk market the Funeral Times Trade show ireland 2017 is a must for your sales campaign There is a large range of space options and exhibition areas to choose from no matter the size of your business
Book your space now!
Citywest Hotel & Conference Centre Saggart, C0. Dublin Call 028/048 3835 5060 or email sales@funeraltimes.com
New Collection for Gilmore’s Ken and Adrian Gilmore, Gilmore Funeral Directors, Comber, collect their new Hearse and Limousine from Fearghas Quinn Hearse and Limousines
Available in other colours
34 | FuneralTimes
Do you ask the question? I
t usually starts with a phone call, a loved one has died, could the funeral director take care of matters? The answer is always yes, but that is the easy part. All the details have to be taken care of and, up until recently, that included organizing a church service, with a priest or minister. Things have changed in many ways and many people prefer not to have a church service for their farewell, however are faced with the problem of what to substitute. Civil funerals are becoming much better known and, in time, will become commonplace, but at the moment most people are relying on the funeral director to give them the lead in these matters. It could be dangerous to assume that a church service will automatically be required and this can cause embarrassment if it is not the case. Some funeral directors will automatically ask the question, do you want a religious or civil service? This opens up the possibility of choice which a lot of people are unaware of. Many people are toying with the idea of doing something different and are very grateful when their chosen funeral director can take the lead and introduce them to a civil celebrant. Mary Elizabeth Dillon of Civil Funerals Ireland has experienced this many times. ‘People are so pleased to have an alternative and for the funeral director to make the introduction and the funeral director is
delighted to hand that part of proceedings over and not to have to worry about it again,’ she says. She would encourage all funeral directors to put a box on their check list simply saying, ‘Religious or civil ceremony.’ This would remind them to ask the question. If a family aren’t interested, there is nothing lost, and if they are it very possibly leads to great gratitude from the family to the undertaker. So many times, Mary Elizabeth has met with people after a bereavement and they have said, ‘if only we had known about you at the time, things could have been so different.’ She would urge funeral directors to ask the question and open the opportunity to provide another service to the people they serve.
Civil Funerals Ireland Simple, unique, personal funeral services
• An alternative to the traditional • Celebrating Life • Reflecting the wishes and beliefs of the deceased and their loved ones • Provides an opportunity to pay a fitting tribute • Any suitable venue can be used
Mary Elizabeth Dillon is available between 9am - 11pm 7 days a week Tel ROI: 053 938 9089 / Mobile: 087 957 4476 Email: info@civilfuneralsireland.com
Funerals conducted throughout Ireland
saif.org.uk
Protecting the Independent Funeral Director for 25 years Promoting and protecting your independent interests
Established in 1989, SAIF is committed to promoting and protecting the traditions, values and care offered by independent funeral directors. Like you, we are passionate about independence, that is why we were formed 25 years ago and, although the funeral profession has changed over the years, our aims remain the same – to listen to you, to represent you and to assist you.
As a member of SAIF, we can offer you cost savings, training, education, member benefits and practical advice and information that can help and grow your business in today’s competitive funeral profession.
To learn more, visit our website at saif.org.uk or call us on 0845 230 677 and let us protect and help you.
SAIF news ... SAIF news ... Education Day Wed 2nd November Following on from last year’s successful education day, SAIF have booked the same venue (Leicester Tigers Rugby Club in Leicester), and have set the date for Wednesday 2nd November. Speakers confirmed to date include Simon Bloxham from OSS – Safety for Business, covering ‘health and safety for the funeral profession’, and Alison Wilson, covering the minefield that is ‘compliance and regulations’. Other guest speakers are yet to be confirmed so please ensure you log into the members area of the SAIF website for further updates. www.saif.org.uk
Zero hours contract
I
f you are an employer did you know that if your workplace is staffed in the main by people on a zero hours contact, you could find yourself unable to trade effectively at some point, should the workers refuse to work. Many realise that zero hours contracts allow you to bring staff in on a need-only basis and you are under no legal obligation to give any work on a weekly ongoing basis. Obviously this is a much cheaper alternative. However, a worker on a zero hours contract can actually refuse any work offered, and has no obligation to the employer whatsoever. Perhaps, for those of you who do employ workers on this basis, why not try a contract with minimum hours to safeguard you and your business. These don’t have to be fixed and can be moved at the employers discretion. Whether on a fixed contract or zero hours, employees’ salaries should still reflect the National Minimum Wage for their age and they are entitled to leave entitlement in both cases.
Parking Fines
SAIF APP
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e are delighted to advise that the SAIF app has now been improved and updated so please make sure you have the correct version by deleting the old app and downloading the new version. If you have not tried the app yet, why not download now? It helps you to keep up to date with news and events by just a quick click on your mobile phone. The app allows you to easily find information, details of events, membership benefits, and latest news on SAIF, plus giving you the ability to click through to other applications such as our Facebook page and website. To download the app, use the QR code which is available at http://www.saif.org. uk/about-us/saif-mobile-app/ or search for mobile app in the search box. To contact Eazi-Apps for a quote on your own company app please go to their website www.eaziapps-business.co.uk.
SAIF were recently involved with a member who was being harassed for an unpaid parking fee. SAIF helped to resolve this issue to the benefit of the member, however we were also made aware of the following tax issue. A ‘fine’ from a privately run car park, rather than a local council, is tax deductible if it occurred on company business. This is because it is a contractual arrangement and not levied by a public body. FuneralTimes | 37
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FuneralTimes | 39
Sponsored by
Wednesday, 3rd August 2016 Day event from 9am - 5pm Foley & McGowan’s Bldg., Union Road Business Park, Collooney, Co. Sligo : Michael Clarke 087-7683226 or secretary@professionalembalmers.ie
Damon de la Cruz, PhD Director of the Funeral Service Education, American River College in Sacramento, CA Turning Art into Science- Quantifying Embalming Case Analysis In the Era of Modern Chemotherapy
Shawna de la Cruz Vice President of Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles, CA Enlightening Client Families on Memorialization Options in a Decreasing Market
Kevin Myers, PhD Sociologist and researcher from Co. Cork Contemporary Irish Views on Death, Dying and Bereavement
To accommodate everyone interested to this OPEN EVENT please send expression of interest the soonest time possible. Michael: 087-7683226 or secretary@professionalembalmers.ie.
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PEAI NEWS
F
ollowing the successful meeting and educational event sponsored by the Professional Embalmers’ Association of Ireland, held on 18th of May 2016 in the Foley & McGowan’s Building, Collooney, Co. Sligo, another exciting educational event is open again for everyone to attend this coming 3rd of August 2016. The event is to take place in the same venue in Foley & McGowan’s Bldg., Collooney, Sligo.
THE SPEAKERS Damon De La Cruz Damon de la Cruz, PhD is a California-licensed Embalmer and Funeral Director and a native of Los Angeles, California. Currently he is the Director of the Funeral Service Education program at American River College in Sacramento, California. Additionally, he is also the President of the University Mortuary Science Education Association and a Representative for the American Board of Funeral Service Education for which he is a member of the Curriculum Committee. His experience includes work as both an embalmer and funeral director in a number of established firms in California, Oregon, and the West of Ireland. Running parallel to his funeral profession, Damon studied cellular and molecular biology at California State University and in 2012 he was awarded a Doctorate in Pathobiology from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California for his work on stem cell homeostasis. Damon proudly boasts of his time spent working in rural Ireland during the mid-1990’s, an experience which helped shape his illustrious career. He looks forward to returning to his second home and to present his work to Irish embalmers.
Shawna De La Cruz Shawna de la Cruz, Vice President of Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles, California, is responsible for the daily operations of a combination mortuary-cemetery, conducting 3200 interments annually. With eighteen years of experience in the cemetery and funeral profession, Shawna is a licensed embalmer, funeral director, cemetery manager and crematory manager. Her involvement in the funeral service community includes serving on the Cemetery & Mortuary Association of California Program Committee, sitting on the board of directors for the International Cemetery Cremation and Funeral Association, and various fundraising support activities for local non-profit organizations. An advocate for advanced education, Shawna closely interacts with both state-wide Funeral Service Education programs in the California College System to ensure student success and placement in the field. Additionally, she collaborates as a funeral-embalming specialist with Mount St. Mary’s College Nursing program, teaching end of life training. Kevin Myers Kevin Myers, PhD is a sociologist and researcher from Co. Cork. During his academic career he has primarily focused on death, dying and bereavement in Irish culture. Kevin has become keenly interested in the cultural practices which surround Irish death, and the unique ways in which these practices effect bereavement. Kevin will be presenting his research of contemporary Irish funerals and how rituals surrounding death have changed and adapted in modern Ireland. This initiative of the PEAI is set to open doors to all involved in different sectors whose work touches on bereavement and loss. The PEAI hopes to promote further education and advancement of skills within the funeral industry. PEAI also wishes to establish connections with different government agencies and parallel practices which will hopefully create awareness within the whole circle of practice in patient care, death care and health and safety. For event details please email secretary@professionalembalmers.ie or visit www.professionalembalmers.ie FuneralTimes | 41
Glasnevin Trust ann Crematorium at Dar Glasnevin Trust, Ireland’s largest provider of funeral services, has announced the opening of a new state-ofthe-art crematorium at their Dardistown Cemetery site in Cloghran, Co Dublin. Construction of the new crematorium commenced in July 2015 and the opening is scheduled for August 2016. The site area for the crematorium extends to approximately 613sqm and has cost €5 million to build. The crematorium is a non-denominational facility which will offer an alternative to traditional burials in Ireland. It was designed by A&D Wejchert & Partners Architects.
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he new crematoria meets the highest standards of emissions control and will be one of the most environmentally friendly crematoria in the country. The public area of the building will be separated into two congregation spaces, each holding up to 150 people. In the event of a larger service, the two congregation spaces can be merged into one, accommodating up to 300 people. The congregation space has been designed as an open and transparent glazed space, surrounded by a colonnade of steel columns supporting the deep overhang of the roof. The space is covered with a zinc-clad fan shaped roof, rising from the south entrance façade to the height of the chimney at the north end of the building. The crematorium and functional areas are enclosed by a high wall of weathered limestone. The building is set amongst a grove of trees, with high quality exterior lighting and finishes proposed. Commenting on the announcement, CEO of the Glasnevin Trust, George McCullough said, “Dardistown crematorium will operate six days a week, providing a much needed service for the greater north Dublin area, and surrounding counties. The new crematorium will offer a peaceful and tranquil environment for people to visit and pay their respects to their loved ones. All of the Glasnevin Trust cemeteries are non-denominational, in keeping with our mission to bury and cremate people of all religions and no religion, with dignity and respect.” Glasnevin Trust operates cemeteries in Goldenbridge (opened in 1828), Glasnevin (1832), Palmerstown (1978), Dardistown (1990) and Newlands Cross (2000). The first crematorium
42 | FuneralTimes
nounces opening of rdistown Cemetery in the Republic of Ireland at Glasnevin Crematorium was opened by the Trust in 1982, and subsequently in Newlands Cross (2001). The Glasnevin Trust is proud of its 187 year history of providing funeral services in Ireland. The new Dardistown Crematorium is another development in the illustrious history of the Glasnevin Trust as it prepares for another 187 years. Dardistown Cemetery is located on the Swords Road (R132), at the junction of the Old Airport Road just before the entrance to Dublin Airport. More information on the services provided by Glasnevin Trust can be found on www. glasnevintrust.ie/funeral-services or contact Derek Donohoe (Manager) T: 084 24677 for more information.
FuneralTimes | 43
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FuneralTimes | 45
Through our own personal experience we received the inspiration to set up Treasured Keepsakes, to give people a wide variety of options upon a loved one’s passing should they choose to keep a lock of hair, cremated remains, a piece of jewellery, a photograph or anything that is a personal reminder of their loved one in a small keepsake, keepsake pendant or urn. Funeral directors we are currently working with have tailored our service to suit their needs. We have two options of how our service can work for you. If you wish you can buy our products from us at a wholesale price and sell them directly to your clients. Alternatively we can offer this service to your clients directly. We would hope that by recommending our service we will enhance and add value to your business at no extra cost to you.
For more information contact us or visit our website Tel: 01 825 4579 From NI: 00353 1 825 4579 info@treasuredkeepsakes.ie www.treasuredkeepsakes.ie
#planesailing
The Boeing 767 was moved by crane at Enniscrone beach
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ast issue, we reported on David McGowan’s ambitious plan to re-home a Boeing 767, purchased from Shannon Airport, in his own back garden-come-glamping hotspot in Enniscrone, off the West Sligo coast. Early May saw the culmination of many months organisation put to the test. Its journey truly captured the imagination of the country, at one point the hashtag #PlaneSailing trending top on Twitter On the final leg of the journey across the island, with to Quirky Nights Glamping people flocking from all Village corners to witness the culmination of months of hard work in David’s dream being realised. The voyage was originally intended to come ashore in the morning, however was delayed due to choppy waters. Large timber mats were laid on the sand of Enniscrone beach to support a truck and trailer. The 80 tonne aircraft, travelling from Shannon on a barge weighing some 450 tonnes was lifted by crane and driven to Quirky Nights Glamping Village where McGowan already has a proud collection of old London taxis and a double decker bus ready to be converted, with plans in place to acquire further buses and boats. FuneralTimes | 47
Shaving By Dennis Daulton
W
hat is said to a young person is sometimes remembered for a lifetime. We need to be very careful what we say to them. I still remember what was told to me those many years ago as a young impressionable apprentice, standing next to seasoned embalmers: “Don’t go to bed thinking you should have done more on that case because you won’t sleep.” “It’s a lot harder to put a beard or moustache back on than it is to take it off.” I have never forgotten those words of wisdom and am forever grateful for the experience I have gained from listening to every word they said. My only regret is that I didn’t ask more questions. My wife’s cousin related an incident she had with her new doctor during a recent physical examination. After Sue made some inquires her doctor said, “You ask too many questions.” The report was that he didn’t seem to be joking. Is it time to find another doctor? If you experience a similar response from a mentor as you eagerly try to become a proficient embalmer and funeral director, find another mentor. Mentors should realize that the apprentice they are now training might be the one who will care for them or their loved ones when their days have come to an end. I have embalmed several mentors and you just might do the same. Shaving is a critical and important procedure in the embalming process. Facial hair sometimes even appears on women and children, as well as on men. It must be removed to allow for an adequate base for cosmetics. However, on men, be absolutely sure a moustache or beard is to be removed before going about the task of removing it. When I asked one mentor if I should 48 | FuneralTimes
Dennis divides his time working in his Dodge sales territory in northeastern Massachusetts and being in the office manning the technical support line, along with helping out with customer service.
remove what appeared to be recent facial growth on the top lip of a gentleman, I was told to clean shave him. That was what I did. I did not make the arrangements with this particular family, but I was the one who greeted the widow and daughter upon their first viewing. I escorted them into the chapel and immediately heard the widow say to the daughter, “What did they do with his moustache?” The daughter replied, “Oh mother, the hospital must have done it.” I didn’t say a word, but I immediately experienced that horrible feeling of ice running through my veins. It was the same feeling I had many years ago when I realized that I had inadvertently cut a women’s dress up the front. It is critical that the arranging director discuss with the family if a beard or moustache is to remain or be removed. Prior to shaving the face of the deceased, it is important to wash and soften the skin. After spraying the entire body with a topical disinfectant, such as Dis-Spray, gently wash the facial area with Germasidol Soap. If you are accustomed to using an aerosol shave cream, apply a light coat of Germasidol Soap first with a shaving cream brush (A). Or, put a trigger sprayer on a bottle of Restorative and spray that on the face prior to applying the shave cream. A combination of Dodge products which we discovered to be effective as a “shaving cream” is Metaflow, Restorative, and Germasidol Soap. Pour an equal amount of each into a stainless steel cup and apply to the face with a shaving cream brush. Use a paper towel or cotton in one hand to stretch the tissue while shaving with your razor of choice. To cleanly shave the corners of the mouth, do not put your gloved fingers into
the mouth to stretch the tissue. Instead, placing the handle end of an aneurysm hook in to stretch the tissue forward will allow you to remove whiskers at the corners. DisSpray should have already been used to clean and disinfect the mouth. An easy way to remove facial hair from the blades of a disposable razor (B) is to take a tooth brush and make horizontal motions along the blades under running water. When confronted with long facial hair, where a disposable razor would become almost immediately clogged, the double edge safety razor (C) works best. You can easily regulate the depth of the cut by twisting the handle. Doing this also exposes the blade for a quick cleaning under running water. This type of razor appears to be no longer available in drug stores. I recently replaced mine by purchasing online. Shaving speciality stores in most shopping malls also carry them. The Durham Duplex Razor (D) is no longer made. I came across one many years ago along with several packages of blades. This razor has worked well, along with the double edge safety razor, when a full beard needs
to be removed. Your first step, however, should be to use electric clippers (E), if available, to remove most of the facial hair. Razor burns on the deceased are what we desperately try to avoid. Moisturizing the tissue, using sharp razor blades, and taking our time are the best way not to nick the skin causing unsightly brown spots which is dehydration. If we do cause a razor burn, a liberal coat of Kalon Cream White after shaving and setting the features, and a second application following embalming will prevent the tissue from dehydrating. Depending on the severity of the burn, an opaque cosmetic might be required. Upon the suggestion of our late chemist Peg Boothe, I personally have been shaving with our Velvatone Skin Lotion for many years. I understand that many women also use Velvatone to shave their legs. Unlike using aerosol shaving cream, the skin does not dry out after the first pass with the razor. The skin stays moist after several passes, thus fewer nicks and few, if any, razor burns. The late Richard C. “Dick� Sanders, our long time rep in Florida, wrote a series of FuneralTimes | 49
articles in 1986 titled Restoration of Beards, Parts I - III. In November of 1992 he also wrote an article titled, Cosmetic Treatment of Facial Hair. He concluded the latter article by stating, “The proper treatment of the cranial and facial hair is one of the most critical areas of embalming cosmetology. Unfortunately, it’s also probably one of the most neglected phases of our work. The primary purpose of our post-mortem efforts is to create a natural and pleasing appearance. Therefore, it’s essential that we observe, retain, and preserve true facial characteristics in both our pre-embalming and our cosmetic treatments.” Well written by a wise, competent, patient, respected, and much missed colleague. I now wish I had asked him more questions. He never would have responded like the aforementioned doctor did to his patient. If you would like copies of Dick’s articles, simply request them through your representative or contact our main office. You can also send a request via e-mail to custserv@dodgeco.com. It is imperative that we give the family
back their loved one looking well again. No one can do this but us. If coming face-toface with the dead… who we shall see no more… is not a positive experience for the family, relatives and friends, the next time they encounter a death and have a service of any type, it most likely will be without the deceased present. This is happening all too often these days. How sad, and what a mistake it seems to those of us who have personally experienced the value of positive viewing. If you would like to be added to the mailing list for the complementary Dodge Magazine which is printed quarterly or would like to discuss any of the products mentioned in this article, please contact us on the number listed below: Shepherds Funeral Supplies, Unit 2A Royal Canal Business Park, Athlone Road, Co. Longford. Ph. 00353 43 33 49702/00353 87 2486668
Wholesale Monumental Suppliers • Covers 32 Counties
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Bless me father ... W
hen people ask me what I work at, and I tell them about my role as a Civil Funeral Celebrant, and try to explain the benefits of a civil funeral and how each ceremony reflects the wishes, beliefs, and traditions of the deceased, one of the most common misconceptions is that civil celebrants are anti-religion and that, when standing next to a priest or minister, there is an unspoken tension of opposing beliefs... but that isn’t true! We’re not humanists... although we can offer a totally non-religious service if requested. I was questioned about this and I just want to put it out there that civil celebrants are not anti-religious as a profession (I can’t speak for individuals) - we are ‘anti-a family not having what they want.’ I personally don’t lead a religious life but I appreciate religion greatly and love to learn about other faiths, taking what I love from each and placing it with my own spiritual nature. I adore churches too, their architecture, and the peace that they can sometimes offer.
I have met some wonderful Priests and Ministers that go above and beyond to ensure their funeral family is taken care of. I love to meet local clergy because we should all be on the same page. Those Priests that I know personally think that what I offer to families is a beautiful option for those who want to have a Ceremony of Farewell without the set structure of a church service. Whether we offer religion or not, we should all just simply care about the bereaved and work as a team for our communities. So no, I’m not anti-religion or anti-minister at all. In fact I’m quite the opposite. If a family wants me to read from the bible I will, because the bible belongs to all of us, and if it is a source of strength at a time when they need it the most then who am I to allow my own self to get in the way? We celebrants should be all-embracing - we ALL should be - and just do our jobs the best we can, care for our bereaved families, and hold their hand during their grief journey.
FuneralTimes | 51
Classic hearses wanted
T
he Hearse Club are looking for a new project. They run the only classic car club for hearses and limousines and have several Irish members in their ranks. They know there are many older hearses sitting in garages around Ireland and would like to preserve a proper Irish built hearse. If any funeral directors or those associated
can help, please contact Sandra & Dean on hearseregister@btinternet.com or check out www.hearseclub.co.uk. The Hearse Club are looking especially for a Toyota Crown (1967-1983) or Ford Sierra (19871994), but most importantly a Ford Granada Mk1 (1972-1977).
New Hearse for J. Hall Funeral Directors J. Hall Funeral Directors, Gloucester collect their new Hearse from Fearghas Quinn Hearse and Limousines 52 | FuneralTimes
The scythe-stone is not the thing
T
By Mattie Lennon
empleboden cemetery is a couple of hundred yards from my humble abode. It is not, however, our family burial ground, due to marriage arrangements some generations ago, the details of which I won’t bore you with. By listening to the assembled mourners at numerous funerals at the graveyard gate, I, as a young lad, added to my already dubious store of knowledge. One could even pick up information on one’s pedigree of which one had been previously unaware. Jimmy from Ballinastockan was a static quantity at such a gathering. The oldest person in the area couldn’t recall Jimmy ever having missed a wake or funeral. As one rhymester put it; “Not a wake or a funeral for five miles around but you’re sure to find Jimmy in there with the crowd.” And at every funeral he could nearly always be relied on to come up with a unique, if not philosophical, statement. Like the day that the discussion arose concerning the construction of Templeboden Bridge (or “Tompleboordin Brudge” as we locals call it) which took place during the 1840s. We are a proud people and we always like to emphasise that not one local died from hunger during the Potato Famine. Likewise it is always stated that the bridge was built through local contributions and was in fact not a relief scheme, despite other such schemes being in operation in the area. One day, when the
project was being discussed, a man said, “All the same, the relief schemes were a great help to the people of this area.” “Be God they were”, replied Jimmy, “They would have died with the hunger around here on’y for the famine.” Then there was the day when a visiting historian, clearly well versed in the part played by the pike-carrying, United Irishmen of Wicklow in the 1798 rebellion. He gazed on the rows of weathered granite tombstones, many off-parallel with the perpendicular, and resembling the oral cavity of a septuagenarian rustic who never graced a dentist’s surgery, he commented, “I’d say there are ninetyeight men buried in there.” “Be God there is”, said Jimmy, “Or there could be over a hundred in it.” There were two identical twin brothers in the area and even in old age nobody could tell them apart. Eventually one of them died at an advanced age and the surviving brother was, of course, the chief mourner. He was approached at the graveyard gate by Jimmy who asked, “Was it yourself or your brother that died”? On another occasion, after a funeral, he was standing at his late mother’s grave. He was heard to remark, “That’s where I’ll end up, if God spares me.” Jimmy’s chosen apparel was, at all times, wellingtons, dungarees and a hat that had seen better days. Even by the standards of the day, personal FuneralTimes | 53
hygiene wasn’t high on his list of priorities however he did shave... infrequently... with the open or cut-throat-razor. Among the many skills which he lacked was the ability to put a keen edge on the razor. One night at a wake the subject of whetting came up for discussion among the assembled males (some barely of shaving age). Many suggestions were put forward by those who considered themselves knowledgeable in that field. Everything from, “finish it off on your forearm” to
“give it a rub around the outside of a two-pound jam-pot” was put forward as the recipe for a fine edge. Jimmy listened attentively and took on board one piece of advice in particular. Next day, when he arrived at the funeral, his face was a sight... It was in bits.It would have been a haematologist’s paradise. His opening line, as he gingerly touched one jaw, was, “I don’t give a %7/$* what ye say lads, the scythe-stone is not the thing for the razor”.
Here are the five rules for men to follow for a happy life that Russell J. Larsen had inscribed on his headstone in Logan, Utah. He died not knowing that he would someday win the “Coolest Headstone” contest...
A cowboy Tombstone
Five rules for men to follow for a happy life ...
1. It’s important to have a woman
who helps at home, cooks from time to time, cleans up and has a job.
2. It's important to have a woman who can make you laugh.
3. It’s important to have a woman who you can trust and doesn’t lie to you.
4. It’s important to have a woman who is good in bed and
likes to be with you.
5. It’s very, very important that these four women do not know each other or you could end up dead like me. 54 | FuneralTimes
2016 Conference & Annual General Meeting
Stewards at the NAFD Conference and AGM; Andrew Millar, Ryan Stevenson, Gerry Boyle, Ivan Murdock and Ian Milne, President of NAFD NI Federation
Paul Ingram and Gary Haire of S. Clarke and Son, Co. Down enjoying a coffee break
David Wright and Nick Stokes of Eulogica at the Belfast Conference FuneralTimes | 55
STRONGER BY ASSOCIATION
Representing the needs of almost 4,000 funeral homes, the National Association of Funeral Directors is the “Voice of the Funeral Profession”, supporting members and assuring the public of high standards for more than 100 years.
The NAFD is influential • Consulted by Government on legislative issues • First call for the media on funeral/ bereavement issues • Established cross party groups in all four UK Parliaments/Assemblies • Universally endorsed professional qualifications The NAFD is inclusive • We are financially independent of any other organisation • We campaign on issues affecting all members equally • Members range from small independent firms to groups and Co-operatives • We are totally democratic with one member, one vote - irrespective of the number of funeral homes
The NAFD is supportive • Best benefits package within the sector, saving up to £5,000 a year on essential business costs • Free helplines for financial, legal and employment law, HR, public relations and repatriation issues • Free £5m professional indemnity insurance per UK funeral home member - unique within the sector • Free insurance against tribunal claims, health and safety and tax prosecutions The NAFD is Trusted • NAFD members are trusted by consumers to deliver our Funeral Promise: • A funeral that is a fitting farewell, at a price they are comfortable with • Treating bereaved families with respect and acting with integrity • Fulfilling any special wishes and requests • The right to independent redress if the need should arise
Your business will be Stronger by Association with the NAFD. Apply to join today and start taking advantage of the benefits of membership. Call Su Lewis on 0121 711 1343 ext. 20.
WWW.NAFD.ORG.UK/ WHY-JOIN-THE-NAFD 56 | FuneralTimes
NAFD News NAFD Conference 2016 sets the agenda for change
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016 saw Northern Ireland host the NAFD Conference for the first time and, right from the outset, delegates were in for a very special treat as Mervyn Storey MLA hosted a reception at the magnificent Stormont Estate, home of the Northern Ireland Assembly, before he formally opened Conference the following morning. In his address to Conference on the Friday morning, Mervyn offered a word of appreciation to the funeral directors present, on behalf of families for whom they “come alongside to provide support that is desperately needed.” He offered his gratitude and appreciation to the work of the funeral profession and the “harbour of calm” provided by NAFD members. He said: “I want to say, on behalf of people across the UK, thank you for the calm, help and support that you provide. Yes, you face challenges, yes you face issues that bring you into dealing with politicians. Whatever the challenges you face though, you have our continued support in Northern Ireland and you will have it over the years to come.” During his valedictory speech to Conference, President William Millar said: “I have been immensely honoured, humbled and privileged to stand before you and represent you as President of the National Association of Funeral Directors. I hope and pray I have upheld the high standards of this office and that of the Association. He also reflected on the warmth of reception he had experienced during his travels across the UK and farther afield during the preceding 53 weeks, and what an honour it had been to represent the
William Millar congratulates Dominic Maguire, former National Public Relations Officer of the NAFD, on his Honorary Membership profession. William closed by thanking all NAFD members for entrusting him with the Presidency of the Association. William also identified three key qualities amongst NAFD members - trust, support and collaboration - and called upon these to be the qualities with which the assembled members approached Conference. “Our chance to shape the future is now. Speak up. Please make that difference and uphold the values of the NAFD as the true voice of the funeral profession.” After the main business of the Annual General Meeting was concluded came the first of two planned debates on the subject of the future regulation of the profession. The session generated lively and thoughtprovoking discussion with considered points made on both sides which the Association will take back to develop further in arriving at a carefully considered policy position. Such was the level of participation in the debate that the Annual General Meeting FuneralTimes | 57
- and the second debate, on the Medical Examiner’s Fee - had to be postponed until Saturday to enable the delegates to benefit from the skills of Jonathan Miller from Insights Ireland in his session 'Discover the Real You' - an interactive workshop which enabled members to gain a much deeper insight into themselves and colleagues. Friday evening saw more than 240 guests head to the magnificent Titanic Experience, in the shadow of Samson and Goliath, the huge, 100-metre-high Harland and Wolff shipyard cranes, for an exclusive tour, dinner and entertainment. The Annual General Meeting resumed on Saturday morning with the second of the two debates on the merits of collecting the Medical Examiner’s fee proposed for England and Wales. Once again, there were numerous questions and points from the floor before a show of hands at the end of the debate revealed a more conclusive result, with members voting 3:1 against collecting the fee. Before the close of the meeting, First VicePresident Jeremy Field revealed details of the next Conference which will be held at The Grand Hotel in Brighton on 4 - 7 May 2017. Other speakers during Conference included Martin Birch, President of the Institute of
Cemetery and Crematorium Management on the changing face of cremation services in the UK; Deborah Smith of Wordsmith Communication, on behalf of the NAFD and Debbie Kerslake of Cruse presenting the results of the YouGov survey into perceptions of the funeral profession, commissioned by the NAFD and Cruse Bereavement Care; as well as a view from across the Atlantic from Christine Pepper, CEO of the National Funeral Directors’ Association of America. After lunch, two further education sessions offered delegates an insight into how supplier members of the profession were driving forward innovation with a range of products and services. Firstly, Tony Ennis of ecoLegacy provided an insight into a sustainable, ecologically sound, commercial solution to accelerate the natural disposition of human remains in an ethical, caring and dignified manner. Following this, Simon Rothwell, Managing Director of Flexmort, talked about how precious DNA could now be preserved as a treasured keepsake before it was lost forever through cremation or burial. On Saturday evening the traditional NAFD Banquet was held in the ballroom at the Europa Hotel. More than 350 guests including invited speakers and Presidents/
All aboard! Guests enjoyed a fascinating evening at the Titanic Experience
Conference sessions were packed across the weekend
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representatives of allied organisations enjoyed a four-course meal with wine, and dancing to a live band and disco. They also enjoyed the traditional rituals of the 115-year old Association, including the President and Lady’s taking of wine with different groups of guests and the always-enjoyable commentary by MC for the evening, Dominic Maguire, former National Public Relations Officer of the NAFD. However, this was to be Dominic’s final evening at the microphone as he had expressed a desire to retire from active NAFD service. Following a vote during the Annual General Meeting on the Friday to bestow Honorary Membership on Dominic, he was presented with his Honorary Membership Certificate and medallion during the Banquet by the President. Sunday morning’s closing ceremony saw outgoing President William Millar hand over the chain of office to new President Jeremy Field in front of both their families. A number of members made emotional
Members having their say during the two 'This House Believes' style debates speeches praising William for his warmth and leadership during a time of change, highlighting the high regard in which William is held across the profession. In his acceptance speech, Jeremy Field called upon the profession to build on the achievements of the past year, to work together to tackle the key issues facing the profession and embrace the “opportunity to engage members, media, Government, industry partners and the public to “collectively get a better deal for bereaved people.”
NAFD tackles denial as part of Dying Matters Week 2016 In May, the NAFD posed the question “Is one in every seven British adults in denial about their own mortality?” The finding that 14% of GB adults, surveyed by YouGov for the NAFD and Cruse Bereavement Care, felt nothing would prompt them to think about their own funeral, led the NAFD to publish an informal, Five-Step Funeral Wishes Guide, to help Britons make planning their exit easier. Those aged 35-44 (18%) and the unemployed (20%) were found to be the most unlikely to contemplate their funeral. Next came men, Londoners and people who live in Wales (all at 17%), and it also seems that the more children you have, the more likely you are to not think about your own funeral. Whilst 14% of people with no children are putting off the planning, a much larger one in 5 (20%) of those with three children or more do not think anything would make them focus upon their own mortality. For those who did think they would turn their attention to their eventual demise, the majority said it would most likely be as a result of the death of someone close (48%), having experienced a serious illness or accident (44%), or simply reaching a particular age (42%). Only 4% of Britons surveyed think they would be influenced by the death of a celebrity – although this is more likely to be true of younger people (12% of 18-24 year olds). NAFD members know all too well how uncomfortable people can find the idea of talking about funerals. However, funeral directors also see at first hand the additional distress and uncertainty which goes hand in hand with the UK’s reluctance to talk about funeral wishes. Since 2014, the NAFD has worked with the Dying Matters coalition on a simple guide to recording your funeral wishes for safe keeping. For the 2016 Dying Matters Week the Association fielded questions from the public during live Twitter chats on planning funerals and the importance of talking to loved ones about funeral wishes. FuneralTimes | 59
Immediate Past President William Millar congratulating newly installed President Jeremy Field
New NAFD President Jeremy Field takes office Jeremy vows to support members in facing the challenges ahead and ensure the profession works together to secure a better deal for bereaved people
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eremy Field, Managing Director of CPJ Field in West Sussex, has become the second generation of the Field family to hold the post of President of the National Association of Funeral Directors and one of the youngest funeral directors to hold the position. In his acceptance speech, Jeremy outlined the challenges ahead and thanked the membership of the National Association of Funeral Directors for the faith they have placed in him. “Representing thousands of funeral directors as NAFD President is the pinnacle of our profession. Like many funeral directors born into a family business, some of my earliest memories are of attending NAFD Conference with my father and watching him become President, 29 years ago. “There is no doubt that my father remains my greatest inspiration and if I can bring an ounce of the passion and dedication to any of the roles that both he and my mother fulfil then I’m sure this will be a successful year. “The year ahead represents a massive opportunity for this Association, our members, and the funeral profession. An opportunity that we must embrace.
60 | FuneralTimes
“We must tell our story. We know the UK funeral profession and are the experts on it; we are caring people, driven to make a difference to other people’s lives; we are the custodians of great service and high standards and we are investing in our people and facilities to deliver better service for bereaved families. “We must continue to grow the Association, encouraging and supporting greater participation at both a local and national level, and bringing through the next generation of industry leaders. “The NAFD is delivering the groundwork and foundations to enable our members to be prepared to face the challenges ahead. Collectively we can get a better deal for the bereaved and continue to provide them with ever higher standards of service.” One of the UK’s oldest family businesses, CPJ Field, can trace its history in the funeral profession back as far as the 1600s and has, over the course of its history, not only served thousands of bereaved families in the Home Counties, where its 30 funeral homes are based, but has also been called upon to arrange the funerals of heads of state and political leaders too.
Delays between death and burial or cremation debated in Parliament I
n May, Mark Pawsey MP, Chair of the AllParty Parliamentary Group for Funerals and Bereavement (APPG) in Westminster, secured parliamentary time to debate the persistent and growing delays between death and burial or cremation. This follows publication of the Group’s report into funeral delays in March this year. In the report, the APPG reported on fourteen key recommendations, which seek to tackle the increasing time between death and burial or cremation. In 2015, the APPG held an inquiry, instigated by the late Paul Goggins MP, which covered key areas including the registration of a death, coroners’ investigations, the funeral industry, and capacity in cemeteries and crematoria. The Group took evidence from a range of industry experts including bereavement services, faith groups, funeral directors, pathologists, and coroners’ staff. After the debate, Mark Pawsey said, “I was delighted to be able to highlight the issues in the APPG report and to provide the Minister with an opportunity to update the House on the work of the Government in this area. It is widely acknowledged that there is an increasing amount of time between a person dying and their subsequent burial or cremation and as Chair of the APPG I want to see some progress. Bereaved families must be placed at the heart of this, and delays can seriously impact on the grieving process and cause unnecessary costs and inconvenience
at an already very difficult time.” In 2015, a survey of the NAFD’s members in England and Wales revealed that families were waiting increasingly long to see a registrar after a death. Almost 70% of members reported that waiting times had increased over the previous year with 49% of families waiting at least three days for an appointment and 15% waiting more than five days. A survey this month of NAFD members revealed a complex picture in terms of the effectiveness of Coronial Services across England and Wales, with only 41% describing their local Coronial service as good or very good, 30% describing their local Coroner as providing a satisfactory service and 27% describing the service as unsatisfactory or very unsatisfactory. NAFD President William Millar said: “I would like to congratulate Mark and the APPG members, including the group’s former chair, Baroness Burt of Solihull, for their persistence in bringing the importance of this issue to the attention of their fellow MPs. A funeral is an important part of coming to terms with loss and for administrative delays to get in the way of the grieving process is simply unacceptable. Sadly, our members across England and Wales are telling us that this is increasingly proving to be the case. We urge MPs to back the APPG’s report and explore ways of improving the processes that are causing so much pain to so many people.” FuneralTimes | 61
NAFD pushing for sensible solutions to Social Fund inadequacies The National Association of Funeral Directors has had a series of meetings with ministers and civil servants as part of an industry round table looking at the recommendations of the recent Work and Pensions Select Committee Report into bereavement benefits.
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AFD President Jeremy Field and Nigel Lymn Rose of AW Lymn, who represent the NAFD on this issue, continue to push for a long overdue increase in the £700 cap on “other funeral costs” which has been in place since 2003 and covers almost everything relating to the funeral, including the coffin, flowers, celebrant or minister’s fees, and the services of the funeral director in making all of the arrangements. They also argue that allowing disbursements (third party costs including burial and cremation fees) to remain uncapped – despite the often rapid rate of
annual increases to these fees – is a major issue, skewing the Social Fund’s ability to be effective. The NAFD also encourages Government to consider alternatives to the current application system which would speed up decision making. For example, perhaps some kind of a voucher system for eligible families so they know with certainty that some level of support will be there for them, which is key to ensuring the funeral can proceed without undue delay and distress to the family, which is so often the case at present.
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Up to £500 commission from Phoenix Phoenix M
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Phoenix Memori Phoenix Memo
nside this edition of Funeral Times every reader receives a copy of the latest brochure from Pheonix Diamonds. The Cheshire-based firm is offering a commission of £250 - £500 sterling for every enquiry generated from a funeral director which leads to a sale. The Phoenix Group is one of only four firms in the world to manufacture Memorial Diamonds with one based in Russia, one in Switzerland, one in the US, and finally the Phoenix Group in Cheshire. Mike Kelly, CEO of the Phoenix Group (which includes PhoenixDiamonds.com and Memorial-Diamonds.com) invites any and all Irish funeral directors to contact their office to arrange for a free holder and 25-30 brochures to stock and hand out to customers. With no outlay or risk to funeral directors, Mike will pay £250-£500 (Sterling) for any enquiry which leads to a sale. Phoenix Memorial Diamonds are genuine diamonds, made from the carbon within cremation ashes - and if a body is being buried HAIR. Mike has kept matters as simple as possible for a most complex process and will deal with the whole sales enquiry in a courteous and respectful manner - leading to a personal delivery service to Ireland. Contact Mike Kelly on +44 (0)771 288 7993 anytime by text or call, 0870 881 0612 to the office or ceomail@phoenix-diamonds.com
Tallon Mortuary Specialists School of Embalming Qualify for membership of an internationally recognised embalming qualification (BIE) at your own pace The ‘Tallon Mortuary Specialists School of Embalming’ offers both Distance Learning and attended courses leading to membership of the British Institute of Embalmers The ‘Tallon Mortuary Specialists School of Embalming’ offers students and registered embalmers the highest standards of teaching and practice in a supportive environment, with full use of our training facility. For further information and to discuss how this course might work for you contact:
Glyn Tallon - 14 Academy Street, Navan, Co. Meath Mobile: 086 826 8876 Web: www.tallonmortuaryspecialists.com / Email: info@tallonmortuaryspecialists.com FuneralTimes | 63
Coleman Milne fleet for Dean Wilson Independent Funeral Directors
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ean Wilson Independent Funeral Directors have provided the communities of London and Kent with personal and meaningful funeral arrangements from their two sites in Eltham and Bromley since 2004. Dean Wilson, Managing Director, recently collected his new fleet of MK10 Ford Cardinal Hearse and matching Dorchester Limousine from Eddie Marsden at the Coleman Milne Factory.
L-R: Dean Wilson with Coleman Milne’s Eddie Marsden L-R: Office Manager Gillian Yeung with Managing Director Nick Houghton accepting delivery of their new Coleman Milne fleet from Area Sales Manager Eddie Marsden
New Coleman Milne fleet for William Houghton Funeral Directors Independent and family-owned William Houghton Funeral Directors have been serving the communities of Preston, Lancashire for over 100 years from their two branches in Longridge and Fulwood. Nick Houghton, Managing Director and Grandson of William Houghton, accepted delivery of his first Coleman Milne fleet consisting of one Norwood Classic hearse and matching Rosedale Limousine from Coleman Milne’s Eddie Marsden last month. 64 | FuneralTimes
Infectious Disease: Risks After Death for Embalmers and Funeral Directors By Nora Murphy, MBIE Tallon Mortuary Specialists, Navan *Please note that this article contains crucial information and statistics regarding infectious disease and how to maintain standard levels of care, precaution, and health & safety within the death care profession.
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embers of the funeral service profession may potentially be exposed to a plethora of infectious diseases through a variety of exposure routes. All human remains should be treated as infectious and preventative steps should always be taken to reduce the risk of acquiring infection. Often times, a lot of infections remain undiagnosed and in Ireland, hospital staff, inclusive of morgue technicians, are not required to inform you of infectious remains due to patient privacy acts and confidentiality of records, which leaves you unaware to whether that individual you are taking into your care is infectious or not. It is imperative that personal protective equipment (PPE) should be worn at all times while handling any remains, but particularly those with known infections. PPE includes, and ranges from: • Gloves; • Glasses/Goggles/Eye Shields; • Facemasks/Respiratory Masks (covers mouth and nose); • Arm Sleeves (Goes over clothing to protect the length of the forearm); • Gowns; • Aprons; • Shoe Covers; • Any equipment or clothing that protects you against the agents of infectious diseases. There are four main sources to consider
when dealing with human remains which are: 1. Blood and other bodily fluids; 2. Waste products such as faeces and urine; 3. Aerosols of infectious materials which may be released when moving, manipulating or opening the body; and 4. Direct contact with the skin. Transmission of infectious agents may occur by various routes of exposure including: • Inhalation: airborne aerosols or droplets are breathed in; • Muccocutaneous: direct contact with skin or eyes; • Percutaneous: penetration through the skin (sharps injury); • Ingestion: consumed in food or drink. In order to become infected, the microorganism has to get from the source into the host by some means. Most microorganisms have a particular route of entry, however in some cases infection can occur by more than one route. Infection can occur via: • Putting contaminated hands and fingers (or pens, etc.) into your mouth, nose or eyes; • Breathing in small, infectious droplets (aerosols) from the air; • Splashes of blood and other bodily fluids into the eye and other mucous membranes such as the nose and mouth; • Broken skin if it comes into direct contact with microorganisms (or something contaminated by microorganisms); • A skin penetrating injury; for example, via a contaminated needle or sharp. I am aware that there is a bit of redundancy with this information, but I feel that it is very important to remain educated on the subject FuneralTimes | 65
and the potentially life-threatening risks that it poses. It is imperative to remember that preventative steps should always be taken to reduce the risk of acquiring infection and that ALL remains should be treated as infectious, for many infections remain undiagnosed. Take for example someone that dies from a heroin or other drug related overdose; while that individual may not have been diagnosed with an infectious disease, you can almost guarantee that they are infectious, most likely with hepatitis and/or HIV. Users, particularly those of hard drugs, are notorious for sharing and reusing ‘dirty’ needles for injection, which highly increases their risk of infection. On other occasions I have had funeral directors and embalmers mention to me that they prefer not to wears gloves when partaking in an initial removal of remains from place of death, especially from a house or nursing home where the family is present, because they do not want to come across as rude or offensive. While I can somewhat grasp the intentions behind this reasoning, one must ask themselves if it is rude when your doctor, nurse, dentist or other professional that may care for you wears gloves? More often than not during the removal there is some sort of soilage (urine, faeces, purge, etc.) and skin contact from the deceased. If those remains that you are handling with your bare hands are harbouring a disease of any sort, you are nearly guaranteed to come into contact with it, if not become contaminated yourself. Another point I want to touch on is utilising a coffin versus a stretcher on removals. I do understand that this is a preference and is ultimately up to the funeral director as to what method of transport they would like to use, but please keep in mind that lifting remains in and out of the coffin can be an unnecessary method of transmission and exposure to a multitude of infectious diseases. Nursing homes may say they ‘require’ this method, but per the new regulations mandated by the Health Service Executive (HSE), legally they cannot hold a body hostage should you choose to utilise a stretcher instead of a coffin. It must be taken into consideration that 98-yearold Grandmother that passes away from ‘natural causes’ in the nursing home may 66 | FuneralTimes
seem healthy and free of infectious disease, but who’s not to say that she had not been suffering from undiagnosed pneumonia which could have potentially developed into a stage of tuberculosis or some other underlying infectious disease. By manipulating her in and out of the coffin you are putting yourself at a VERY high risk of exposure to those airborne droplets via inhalation, particularly because you will most likely be bent forward over the remains for both insertion and removal from the receptacle. A crucial point about infectious disease is that generally there is no minimum measurable “no-effect dose” meaning one person may be severely affected and another suffer no ill effects whatsoever. This and the fact that such agents can be transmitted by several exposure routes has a number of implications, therefore great care and appropriate precautions must be taken to prevent the spread of infection. This should be taken into serious consideration when it comes to handling human remains, as well as when remains are being released into the general public. Funeral directors have specific duties to ensure that visitors to their premises or a family’s home are protected, as far as reasonably practicable, from harm. This is particularly important where there may be infectious agents present. Also, at what point do there become any restrictions for privately or publically viewing remains, if any? There was a study conducted in the 1960’s on the nature of dead bodies for an embalming chemical association and it noted that the length of time since death and the number of bacteriological organisms were positively correlated. It was also noted that the danger was compounded by the fact that after death there was an increase, not only in the number of microbial cells, but also their virulence (infectious potency). This basically translated to: The longer the dead body is untreated, the higher the bacteria count will be. Members of the funeral service profession and the general public, should a family decide they do not wish for embalming or want a long delay prior to embalming, may potentially be exposed to an overabundance of bacteria and infectious disease through
a variety of exposure routes mentioned previously. Further studies have demonstrated that unembalmed bodies are capable of contributing a multitude of infectious diseases and, as stated above, that the length of time from death and number of bacterial organisms is positively correlated. Embalming remains, especially those with known infectious diseases, is quite advised. The embalming is a procedure undertaken to help preserve human remains and to prevent the possibility of spreading any infectious diseases before AND after burial. There are several infectious diseases notifiable under various statutory requirements. Those diseases notifiable under the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act, 1984/the Public Health (Infectious Diseases) Regulations, 1988 in the Republic of Ireland are: Acute Encephalitis – Acute Poliomyelitis – Anthrax – Chicken Pox – Cholera – Diphtheria – Dysentery – Erysipelas - Food Poisoning - Gastro-Enteritis (persons under 2) – Haemophilus Influenza Legionnaires Disease – Leptospirosis – Malaria – Measles - Membranous Croup - Meningitis: Meningococcal / Pneumococcal - Meningococcal Septicaemia (without meningitis) – Mumps – Ophthalmia Neonatorum - Paratyphoid Fever – Plague – Polio (paralytic and acute) – Puerperal Fever – Rabies – Relapsing Fever – Rubella – Scarlet Fever – Smallpox – Tetanus – Tuberculosis – Typhoid Fever – Typhus Fever – Viral Haemorrhagic Fever – Viral Hepatitis: A, B, C & others – Whooping Cough – Yellow Fever Additionally, there are other infectious agents not included in these notification schemes that are of great importance to the general population as a whole. The most notable are Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and the Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs), otherwise known as prion diseases, such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD). Due to the considerable interest in these, there are a number of other reporting schemes from which information can be obtained. Hazard Groups • Hazard group 1: Unlikely to cause human disease. • Hazard group 2: Can cause human disease
and may be a hazard to employees. It is unlikely to spread to the community and there is usually effective prophylaxis or treatment available. Examples include Legionella spp, influenza types A, B and C. • Hazard group 3: Can cause severe human disease and presents a serious hazard to employees. It may present a risk of spreading to the community but there is usually effective prophylaxis or treatment available. Examples include CJD and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. • Hazard group 4: Causes severe human disease and is a serious hazard to employees. It is likely to spread to the community and there is usually no effective prophylaxis or treatment available. Lassa fever is an example of this hazard group. Vaccines/Immunisation While there is some recent controversy globally on the notion of getting yourself or your children vaccinated, the importance of immunisation and vaccines is beyond what I can put into words for you. Vaccination and immunization greatly reduces disease, disability, death and inequity worldwide. They are not only protection for yourself, but serve as a barrier from becoming infected by anyone around you. Generally, employees should not be charged for opting to become vaccinated. This is a service that should be provided as a means to protect themselves at work particularly against Polio, Tetanus, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis B, Measles, Mumps and Rubella. It should be noted too that the Hepatitis B vaccine generally provides effective protection but it should never be regarded as a substitute for good infection control practice, whereas not all given the vaccine will necessarily respond if they come into contact with the disease. Although notification of many infectious diseases has decreased over the last couple of decades, the potential chance of exposure to infectious diseases is high and is likely to continue to be so. It is vital that steps are taken to assess the incidence of infectious diseases and further steps to familiarise yourself and practice preventative measures. It is as simple as starting with always wearing your personal protective equipment (PPE) and treating any and all human remains as if they were harbouring an infectious disease. FuneralTimes | 67
Taking receipt of the new hearse
First ever new Jaguar XJ Hearse into Ireland!
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ilcox Limousines were honoured to deliver The Republic of Ireland’s first ever Jaguar Hearse to Dublin this month. Proud funeral directors Patrick O’Donovan & Son have already seen a rise in business, “In the first few weeks after receiving the Hearse we have already taken on new clients we wouldn’t have previously,” commented Michael O’Donovan, Managing Director of Patrick O’Donovan & Son. “It’s unbelievable the difference the hearse has already made, we chose the vehicle because we wanted to raise the level of our business, everyone is commenting saying how beautiful and stylish the Jaguar hearse is, we are delighted – the car is perfect!” For over thirty seven years, Patrick O’Donovan & Son have provided a complete and comprehensive funeral directing service, with “dignity, reverence and understanding”. Established in 1967 by Patrick O’Donovan, the firm has grown from strength to strength. In 1992 Michael O’Donovan, son of Patrick, took over the running of the business and 68 | FuneralTimes
in 1995 purchased the business. Michael and his staff take great pride in the fact that they provide a service that not only is comprehensive in every detail, but handled with the sensitivity that only a firm dedicated to quality can provide. A member of the prestigious Guaranteed Quality Irish Association, the Irish Association of Funeral Directors, The National Association of Funeral Directors, the Funeral Services Council, the Funeral Omnibus Services and the Federation of Transport Operators, Patrick O’Donovan & Son are justly proud of their reputation for adhering to the highest standards of ethics and service. Michael was delighted to receive his new aluminium Jaguar XJ hearse, which comes with a high specification including a refined 3.0 litre six cylinder diesel engine, air suspension, stop start technology, satellite navigation and Bluetooth® hands free phone system. Wilcox Limousines wish him well and thank him for his custom.
Top-selling ‘Wilcox’ Hearsette for Kyle Bros. Funeral Directors Ltd. Kyle Bros. Funeral Directors was established in 1945. David Irvine is the current owner. The business is located in the beautiful town of Kelso in the Scottish Borders. The business has been serving the families of Kelso and surrounding areas for over 70 years. Professional Family Funeral Directors, they are members of SAIF. The Hearsette that David purchased comes as standard with a high specification, including satellite navigation, Bluetooth®, front and rear parking sensors, DAB radio, day time running lights, alloy David Irvine ( far right) and staff members wheels, tinted glass, and heated front and rear windscreen. The vehicle has a folding standing alongside their new Ford Mondeo Hearsette supplied by Wilcox Limousines Ltd removable deck fitted which is capable of carrying two deceased at one time. Wilcox Limousines Ltd., would like to thank David for his continued business and wish him every success with his new Hearsette.
‘Wilcox’ Hearsette for Selwood Funeral Directors
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elwood Funeral Directors was started in 1974 by Lindsay and his wife, Norma. It is the oldest established independent family owned funeral directors in Angus. The main office is in the famous golfing town of Carnoustie. They also have a second premise in nearby Monifieth. Professional family funeral directors, they are members of BIFD, NAFD and SAIF. Lindsay and Norma chose the very latest model Ford Mondeo. The vehicle comes with a high specification including satellite navigation, Bluetooth, front and rear parking sensors, DAB stereo, day time running lights, cruise control, roof rails, alloy wheels and climate control. The folding removable deck system is capable of carrying two deceased at one time. Wilcox Limousines Ltd., would like to thank Lindsay and Norma for their continued business and wish them every success with their new purchase.
Owner Lindsay Martin and his Grandson, Dale Martin, standing alongside their new Ford Mondeo Hearsette purchased from Wilcox Limousines Ltd FuneralTimes | 69
New Orleans
expo
6 1 20
New Orleans, Louisiana a.k.a. “The Crescent City”, “The Big Easy”, “The City That Care Forgot”, “Nawlins”, NOLA... (the list goes on!). It might have a number of nicknames, but one thing is for sure: it is famed for its nightlife, vibrant live-music scene, and spicy, southern creole cuisine, reflecting the melting pot of French, African and American cultures
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hat a location for the ICCFA Annual Convention and Expo 2016! I fell in love with New Orleans completely, despite a stolen purse, missed flights, and the typical Irish weather dampening the experience. The welcome was superb. A taste of a true “Nawlins” funeral and wow what a send off! You can see a video clip of it on my blog – http://theglamreaper.blogspot. com. It was definitely the best part of the expo for me. But what else was there that was new or interesting? There was UPD Urns – the Always bust is sculpted by world class 3D artists or bronze sculptors. The bust sits on top of a 70 | FuneralTimes
By Jennifer Muldowney flat cremation urn where cremains can be safely stored. If ordered before a passing (preneed), the bust can be delivered so it is present for the funeral, and the cremains interred after the cremation process. The bust can then stand in a family home as a lasting tribute to a loved one. It takes 6-8 weeks but as it is based in Oregon I would allow a further 2 weeks for shipping to Ireland. See more at: www.updurns.com As always, I’m delighted when I hear of some Irish lurking at these shows and usually I can find at least one! This time it was PLOT BOX. Having already covered the cemetery in Dún Laoghaire, and currently
commissioned to do all of the graveyards in Carlow, these guys are set for big things. The Plot Box team map cemeteries, from old closed historical grounds to 200 acre, fully-functioning sites. Especially important in Ireland where we still rely so heavily on paper for everything, these guys digitize existing paper trails into high resolution maps. Ancestry researchers will love this as life will get a whole lot easier through perusing online databases to find graves and records. See more at: www.plotbox.io One of the strangest booths at the show and one that may not be for everyone was Save my Ink Forever. These guys have developed a unique process of preserving a person’s tattoo after they have passed on. The embalmer removes the tattoo from the body following the directions provided by Save my Ink and sends it in a preservation box to the guys who then return it ‘preserved’ and framed. It's certainly not for the faint of heart but I can imagine it will appeal to some. Check out www.savemyink. tattoo for more info. I have to give a big shout out to AP Lazer who gave me my very own personalized mini coffin – hopefully I won't need the real one anytime soon! These guys are trying to change the way we think of death care by
focussing on memory care. Their laser machines are amazing and would allow a lot of funeral homes to personalize countless products at the touch of a button, saving both money and time for them and the families they care for. For more info check out www.aplazer. com. All in all it was a great show with lots of innovation and also a lot of familiar faces which shows long term investment and stamina in the industry which isn’t easy. I absolutely fell in love with New Orleans and, as I said, despite the stolen purse, missed flights, and the rain, I still got to taste all of what New Orleans has to offer and she is vibrant for sure!
The Plot Box team are based in Portglenone, Co. Antrim and Silicon Valley, CA
An example of tattoo removal from Save my Ink Forever FuneralTimes | 71
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Dr Bill Webster A failure to communicate S
ome of us will remember Paul Newman’s classic role in the movie “Cool Hand Luke”. You may recall the prison warden’s famous line, “What we have here is a failure to communicate!” How many times have you sat through seminars and information meetings and come to a similar conclusion as that prison warden? Some presentations are captivating all right … you feel like they will go on forever, and there is no escape! These days in funeral service, presentations about wills and estates, funeral planning and information sessions have become a way of taking our message to the community. And rightly so! People need information on these important topics, and I for one am delighted to see the initiatives that encourage more open conversation and communication about death, dying, and related topics. A recent study has shown that on a list of things they fear most, most people place public speaking ahead of dying. The problem is that if this fear isn’t managed effectively, it’s apt to become a self-fulfilling prophecy. In other words, if you are afraid you are going to mess up, it is likely to actually happen. Thankfully, the principle also works if you believe you will do well. Have you ever found yourself standing up in front of a group of people, butterflies in your stomach, weak knees, clammy hands, a tight, dry throat, your voice and body shaking? You would rather be anywhere else than there.
However, these admittedly uncomfortable reactions are in fact natural. They are how your mind and body focuses its energy on the challenging task at hand. If you don’t have at least a mild case of them you’ll probably not give your best performance. Most people’s concern about giving a speech stems from their OWN expectations, not the expectations of the audience; which, incidentally, are usually a lot lower than yours! Learning to do anything well takes time and effort. All speakers, even the most accomplished you’ve ever heard, have had to overcome some level of fear. Many of you are called upon to give presentations about your work, on the importance of pre-need, or some other relevant topic. It benefits you and your business to do that well. The good news is that good communication is a skill that we can learn and develop. Communication depends on two elements, Content and Process. The equation is that Content + Process = Communication. The content refers to the subject your presentation seeks to address. It consists of the material that is being shared, the issues that are being addressed, the topics for discussion or consideration, or the problems to be resolved. Because it is the verbal portion, the content is obvious and typically consumes the attention of the listeners The process deals with how things are being presented. It refers to the methods and procedures by which your content is FuneralTimes | 73
going to be imparted, the group dynamics involved, and the communication tools that are necessary. Put simply, the content is the WHAT of the presentation, the process is the HOW. Hopefully we believe that the content of every presentation is important, and that we prepare it thoroughly. However, Dr Albert Mehrabian theorizes that true communication is: 55% Body Language (which includes physical energy, smile, eye contact, appearance, and many others.) 38% Voice (the sound and tone of your voice, whether friendly, nervous, shouting, calm and reassuring, among others.) 7 % Content These statistics serve to show us how vital the process, or the way we deliver the content, actually is. In fact, when speakers can captivate their audience with an effective process, the content is actually perceived as more important. But beware, for sadly the
opposite works too! In presentations where content is seen to be the primary focus, process can often be ignored, and we have all sat through boring, uninteresting meetings like that, have we not? So here are a few suggestions to try for your next presentation: Suggestion 1 - Organize your Content. Define your objective. What is it you are trying to say? Be clear and to the point. Being clear is not as easy as it sounds. Putting your thoughts together in your mind is one thing, but also try putting those thoughts on paper. That’s a different story. Write out your presentation, read it aloud, edit it, and rewrite it. Say a lot with few words. I have found that I need to prepare more to say less, because if you ramble on you have more words, but it is repetitive and unorganized and people pick up on that quite quickly. The greatest weapon against fear is preparation. Plan and know your opening
First you hurt, then you heal Dr. Bill Webster understands grief not just in theory, but also from personal experience. In his book, “First you Hurt, Then you Heal”, Dr. Bill outlines a road map for the grief journey in a series of articles that take us through the process . He begins with a chapter entitled “I Didn’t Plan for This” that gives people an understanding of what they may experience in the early days after a loss. The book then goes on to give us an understanding of grief, some insights into various situations of loss, and some strategies to help us work through the process. This book will be a helpful resource for those who are going through a grief process as well as containing much relevant and practical information for those who would like to know what they can say and how they can help someone who has experienced a significant loss. It will also serve as a basic knowledge and layman’s guide for those in the helping professions such as nurses, teachers, funeral directors and those who seek to support grieving people, young and old, through their work. “First you Hurt, Then you Heal” provides practical, down to earth and effective insight into one of the most difficult topics and most misunderstood experiences of life. First you Hurt, Then you Heal: A Road Map for the Grief Journey (Kindle Edition) is avaialble to buy on Amazon at £5.51. 74 | FuneralTimes
(the few words or the first minute or two) so well that you can be confident that you can get through it no matter how nervous you feel. Getting through the first few sentences will have an unbelievably settling effect on you, and also on your audience. Once you’ve said what you have to say, especially if it is going well, you may have the natural urge to keep on talking. Try to avoid the temptation. Suggestion 2 - Rehearse your Body Language. 55% of the effectiveness of your presentation depends on body language and the way you deliver the content of your message. So you need to pay careful attention to what people are seeing as well as what they are hearing. • Breathe deeply. Breathing will help you to relax which will calm the butterflies, the shakiness and the tightness in your voice. If you seem relaxed, the audience will relax; if you are uptight, you will communicate that nervousness to your audience. • Connect with your Eyes. When you get up in front of a group, pause for a minute, and look around. By making eye contact you are inviting a more personal communication. If you can do this with a SMILE, that again communicates a friendly desire to share something with them, and invites their attention. • Stand Tall. Try not to hide behind a lectern, or sit behind a table. Stand up and let people see you. A lectern, though practical, can sometimes be a psychological barrier between people. So even if you are using one, try to come out from behind it, even if just to the side once in a while. Let people see you. • Move with Ease. Try to make your movements natural. Watching yourself on a video will show you the idiosyncrasies that we all have, some of which are OK, but others may well need review. Suggestion 3 - TAPP your Voice. The sound of your voice and the way you say things is another crucial component in communication. Admittedly, not all of us are blessed with a Scottish accent, however there are 4 parts to vocal expression often referred
to as TAPP. Tone, Articulation, Pace, and Pitch. • Tone establishes intent and adds quality to the words being spoken. Is this a serious or humorous part of your message … your tone will establish for the listener how to take the words you are communicating. • Articulation gives clarity to your speech. Make sure you are at an appropriate distance from the microphone; do a sound check before you start; speak into the microphone from all angles. Try to make sure your voice will project to the back of the room. Tapping the microphone and asking if people can hear you belongs in “amateur hour”, and suggests you are unsure. Check all these things before you get up there. • Pace enhances understanding. Most people speak too quickly. Many don’t pause for effect. Try to make sure that you are speaking at a pace that is appropriate to your listeners. Watch them carefully, and their body language will tell you if you are going too fast or slow. • Pitch refers to the way we present our message, using inflections and pauses to maximum effect. You will find this adds colour to your presentation and frames key words. And may I respectfully suggest; Rehearse! Rehearse! Rehearse! I am not suggesting that we repeat our presentation until it comes so mechanical that it sounds phony! What I advise is that we rehearse it in front of colleagues or family, and let them make some suggestions, based on what they observe. Have the courage to video yourself giving the presentation and watch it to see what others see. Most of us hate watching ourselves on video simply because we didn’t realize some of the idiosyncrasies that others notice. Once we see and know them, we will want to make the changes. If you practice these suggestions, your presentations will be even more effective than ever. But back to Paul Newman and the movie! A “failure to communicate” finally got Cool Hand Luke shot. Don’t say I didn’t warn you! And try not to make the same mistake. FuneralTimes | 75
Profile of an American Legend - Part 2
B
By Jennifer Muldowney
efore you start with this article, make sure to read Hartsdale Pet/Canine Cemetary part 1 (Profile of an American Legend) in the last issue of Funeral Times, so that you will know the back story as to how this Cemetery got going. More than 54,000 pets die every year in New York alone. The Pet Death business is large and getting bigger and more extravagant each year in the U.S. Hartsdale Pet/Canine Cemetary is a prominent part of this industry in New York, in the U.S., and in the world at large. As recently as 2012, the ‘US dept. of the Interior’ added Hartsdale Pet Cemetary to the ‘National Register of Historical Places’, making it the first and only animal burial ground to receive such acknowledgment as a site of profound cultural significance. Its long history of caring for pets who have passed on began in 1896. It began as only
76 | FuneralTimes
a favour to a dear friend and turned into a lucrative business, and with it came the usual start up problems. Graves became unkempt and bills unpaid, so they had to formalize and regulate it. A Caretaker was hired to maintain the property and bury the animals. All the legal stuff had to be taken care of and so they created a deed for the entire cemetery. In layman terms, how it worked was that a customer who wanted to bury their pet in Hartsdale would select an available lot, then they would buy from the Cemetery Corp a ‘burial right’, which is an exclusive right to bury their pet there. Customers became ‘plot holders’ at Hartsdale. Each plot usually had room for two pets. A customer could authorize the cemetery to open it and bury a second pet when the time came. The customer would agree to pay maintenance – general maintenance of the cemetery – grass cutting, trees etc. This was considered an obligation to the cemetery. Annual payment currently stands at $70 and if a customer doesn’t pay for three and a half years they lose their right and the plot could be bought by someone else. BUT if this happens the pet is cremated and the ashes scattered on that plot so there is some respite for the customer. Hartsdale then introduced ‘Perpetual care’ meaning a provision of funds, to be held
in a trust, the income of which is to be expended in keeping up (forever) the necessary care of the individual lots. Hartsdale set up an endowment of $2300 with JP Morgan to this end. They also recommend that if you have a will (and you should) then put it in it so that your wishes are clear and uncompromising. In terms of other rules and regulations the cemetery developed over the years, they do require that pets are to be buried in a casket. Price varies and depends on size of a plot and where in the cemetery the plot is. The cemetery is also home to the World Famous War Dog Memorial - a 10 foot high monument topped by a beautiful German Shepherd. It was erected in 1923 to honour all military dogs that served in World War I. It is the only memorial of its kind in the US and is the focus point during the Memorial Day Weekend ceremony that is held annually in the cemetery. Today the “Peaceable Kingdom� is the final resting place for more than 80,000 dogs, cats, rabbits, reptiles, monkeys and even a lion cub that once resided in the famous Plaza
Hotel with a Russian princess. It has quite the history. Mariah Carey once visited the cemetery with an entourage to grieve for her cat Clarence. In my opinion, Hartsdale Cemetery is a beautiful place to take a time out, grieve, be a tourist, be a photographer, satisfy curiosity, take a reprieve from the daily grind, or just be a nosy historian for a moment. The welcome was generous, the grounds pretty, and the calm, peace and serenity of the Peaceable Kingdom is infectious and I will surely be going back for more.
Gerry McDermott Wreath Manufacturer Circular Road, Roscommon
Mob: 086 2544126 or Mob: 086 8205215
FuneralTimes | 77
Aer Lingus defends position on repatriation
T
he Irish World recently ran an article concerning airline policy changes affecting Irish repatriation from the UK. Aer Lingus has been forced to defend its attitude towards repatriated human remains and pledge its ongoing support for, and intentions to continue facilitating, the movement of such remains from the UK to funerals in Ireland and vice-versa. This has come in the wake of a wave of criticism from funeral directors experiencing increased difficulty in securing repatriation arrangements since the airlines takeover by IAG. The firm denied reports of coffins destined for areas outside of Dublin, including Cork and Shannon, being downgraded and moved to later, less practical flights. It is widely felt that a marked deterioration in the availability of flights suitable for funerals outside of Dublin is leaving mourners and prospective funeral attendees facing significantly increased costs in their time of need. Such scheduling changes have come into effect in the past several months, following last years takeover.
Hammersmith undertaker Lynn Furlong, of Patrick Ryan and Daughters - a London-based firm typically bringing at least one body home to a funeral in Ireland per week - was just one to comment on her recent experiences. “We always use Aer Lingus’s cargo service, over the years they have been brilliant for repatriating remains and coffins…I’ve spoken to the regional sales manager for cargo and was told it has all been taken over by IAG who don’t tell them anything. I was told in future there will only be certain flights that will take coffins and the service may even end altogether,” said Mrs. Furlong. An Aer Lingus spokeswoman, in comment to the Irish World, describes how “Aer Lingus regularly transports human remains between Great Britain and Ireland; there has been no change to our policy on this in recent years. Aer Lingus works closely with undertakers and funeral directors to assist with the repatriation of human remains. Our ability to provide this service depends on the type and size of the aircraft we operate on each specific route.”
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