New delivery for Farrelly Funeral Directors, Dunderk, Slane, Co. Meath

Memorial tattoos and a nocturnal shock

By Mattie Lennon

Farrelly Funeral Directors, Dunderk, Slane, Co.

Meath were delighted to receive their new Mercedes Harris Hearse from Gerry McAllister of McAllister Cars, Scotland.

The Harris Hearse is designed from the ground up to ensure the vehicle not only has a headturning presence on the road but is also one of the most practical vehicles of its kind.

The specially manufactured curved side and roof glass flood the hearse with natural light and ensure the coffin and floral tributes take centre stage of any cortege.

The original Mercedes design lines have been fully adopted, creating a vehicle that looks and drives beautifully.

As you know there is a growing trend around the world for people to have the ashes of their cremated loved ones mixed with tattoo ink and used. A spokesperson for Mr Inkwells in California told me, “We have done many cremation ashes tattoos. It’s a great way to commemorate a loved one, and it’s a fairly simple process. Tattoos are one of the rare “rituals “that we still have, plus they require not only money, but pain. This makes them more meaningful, and combining this with the ashes of loved ones is a powerful way to say ‘I love you’.“ I contacted a number of Tattooists here in Ireland, but so far it would appear that it hasn’t caught on in this country. If you are thinking about incorporating ashes into your tattoo, the first step is to contact a tattoo shop and let the artist know that you want to incorporate ashes into your tattoo. Once your appointment is set, you bring the ashes in, and then a small amount of them are mixed with the tattoo ink. Once thoroughly mixed, you are ready to be tattooed. You may be wondering if being tattooed with ashes is safe, but don’t worry. Because the cremation process happens at such high temperatures the ashes should be sterile and safe as long as they are not contaminated in transit. The best part of any tattoo, including a tattoo mixed with ashes, is deciding what tattoo you are going to get. Initials and names are very popular, as well as portraits. But, you can get whatever reminds you of your loved one the most.

According to Alice Nicholls, specialist tattoo artist and owner of The Fine Art of Tattoo studio in Colchester, “Memorial tattoos have been around for quite a long time, but – thanks to social media and tattoos in general becoming more mainstream – more people know about them and want to get one,” What are memorial tattoos? Memorial tattoos were traditionally a standard design celebrating a loved one, but today they include tattoos where a tiny amount of ashes is mixed into the ink. You may also have heard them called cremation tattoos or cremation ink.

My pal Mick met an unattached female at an adult dance in Piulaphouca and accompanied to her cosy cottage in Logstown. She excuses herself to go to the kitchen to get them some sandwiches. As he’s standing there alone, he notices a cute little vase on the mantle. He picks it up, and as he’s looking at it, she walks back in. He says, “What’s this?” She says, “Oh, my father’s ashes are in there.” He turns green in disgust and horror and it almost put him off his ham sandwich. “Holy F—“ says he, “Yeah”, she says, “ He’s too lazy to go to the kitchen to get an ashtray.”