Funeral Times issue 4 2021 by Inhouse

The magazine for Funeral Directors in Ireland

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2021 Vol.21 No.4

www.fearghasquinn.com www.fearghasquinn.com

Non-religious funeral and memorial ceremonies Meaningful and bespoke ceremonies Humanist funerals and memorials are non-religious ceremonies that focus on the person who has died, the life they led, and the relationships they forged. They are based on the humanist perspective that every life is valuable and unique.

Each funeral and memorial ceremony is tailored to the person who has died, and the wishes of the people who love them. We can help commemorate the person who has died with an upbeat celebration of life, instead of taking a more solemn tone.

A humanist funeral or memorial is the perfect option for families and friends who want a sincere, personal reflection on the life of their loved ones – without religion. This can be especially important if the person who died was not religious.

A funeral can include time for silent reflection on the life of the deceased. This time is inclusive of people from all backgrounds and people with religious beliefs can take this opportunity to say a silent prayer, if they wish.

Find your local celebrant Our funeral and memorial ceremonies are conducted by humanist celebrants. Contact one of our celebrants today to find out more about saying a dignified and personal farewell. BALLYCASTLE John Foley 07949 114455

BELFAST Richard Lavery 07802 839543

BELFAST MaryLou McShane 07962 906236

DUNMURRY Janni Knox 07890 861690

BALLYMENA Lisa Wilkinson 07759 514139

BELFAST Maire De Buitlear 07841 860276

BELFAST Michael Conlon 07494 505033

NEWTOWNABBEY Stewart Holden 07971 634098

BANBRIDGE Joan Davis 07546 954222

BELFAST Cathy Graham 07595 927494

DERRY Julie Hassell 07510 851612

NORTH DOWN Trevor Molloy 07549 946622

BANGOR Michael McAlinden 07305 892201

BELFAST Rachel Smith 07957 474643

DROMORE Sheena Bradley 07732 143183

humanists.uk/ ceremonies

Humanist Ceremonies™ is part of Humanists UK, a registered charity in England and Wales (no. 285987) and company limited by guarantee (no. 228781) info@humanists.uk

The magazine for Funeral Directors in Ireland

Tallon Mortuary Specialists class of 2020 Page 26

Contents

Funeral Partners champion mental health.................................................................. 4 Eimer Duffy answers your questions.............................................................................8 IAFD News............................................................................................................................... 20 Going the extra mile with Padraic Cawley................................................................25 Tallon Mortuary Specialists class of 2020................................................................26 BIE News ...................................................................................................................................31 Over 100 years of service from Sharkeys....................................................................41 NAFD News..............................................................................................................................44 CMA require price lists to be displayed.....................................................................49 New funeral home for Hogan’s......................................................................................54 SAIF News ...............................................................................................................................59 Jennifer Muldowney quotes Bob Dylan......................................................................63 Jasper cycles in search of the truth..............................................................................64 Tree of Memories helps Children’s Hospice.............................................................66 Dr Bill Webster on that ‘Better Place’..........................................................................70 Coffin Mixtures by Mattie Lennon................................................................................72 Jack Adams looks back at the 1957 Alumnus............................................................76 Classifieds ............................................................................................................................... 80

Jasper cycles in search of the truth Page 64

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 E: sales@funeraltimes.com

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

Funeral Partners prioritises mental health support as Covid-19 restrictions ease It’s important for those in the funeral profession to always have access to quality mental health care, especially after the pressures of the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as support the wellbeing of those in their local communities. Funeral Partners funeral homes have therefore been busy offering virtual mental health training to local nursing home staff in Northern Ireland, in addition to themselves applying for the opportunity to become a Mental Health Champion across the Funeral Partners business to support and help their colleagues.

Championing mental health in the funeral home

ental health awareness health issues is invaluable, and a has been a core focus responsibility I’m proud to have.” of Funeral Partners since Carolyn was one of 16 its foundation. In light of applicants who underwent two the Covid-19 outbreak, the days of training over Zoom by network has innovated by Mental Health First Aid England launching a new internal role (MHFA), where she learned to help its employees through how to support people with unprecedented times. depression, anxiety, self-harm, Any Funeral Partners employee psychosis, PTSD and suicidal can now apply to become a thoughts. Mental Health Champion and She said: “I found the training help colleagues struggling with to be both fascinating and Carolyn McCauley, Funeral their mental wellbeing, be enlightening. As all of us have a Arranger and newly-appointed it through a conversation or common interest in supporting Mental Health Champion at John the wellbeing of our colleagues, referral to specialist help. Gray & Co. Funeral Directors. Carolyn McCauley, Funeral we bonded well and were able Arranger at John Gray & Co to share our own thoughts, Funeral Directors, Bangor, was pleased to be feelings and fears without judgment.” accepted into the new programme and given Carolyn looks forward to opening up the the opportunity to challenge the stigma around conversation around mental health in her mental health. She said: “We all have a trained workplace and is pleased to hear Funeral first aider nearby in case of physical injury to Partners is already launching a second intake our bodies, so it makes sense to also have a first for Mental Health Champions. She concluded: aider for our minds. “The value of knowing you have helped make a “Being able to provide an early intervention difference to someone’s life is too great to be for someone who may be developing mental measured. “

Virtual mental health training for nursing homes

ichelle McMaster is a qualified trauma therapist, social worker and mental health trainer who has worked in the funeral industry for over 20 years, helping the care sector and funeral homes to look after their teams’ mental health through one-to-one and group sessions.

4 | FuneralTimes

Social distancing restrictions brought on by the Covid-19 outbreak meant that Michelle and the Northern Ireland Funeral Partners funeral homes had to think creatively to continue offering support to those that need it most in their communities.

Michelle McMaster producing a mental health webinar on her computer. She said: “We began hosting online seminars through video calls. However, it became apparent that nursing home staff had limited

Funeral Partners looking to expand in Northern Ireland – you will be in safe hands

uneral Partners has invested a considerable amount of time and effort into reviewing the latest order by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), developing an implementation plan across its family businesses to ensure they are fully compliant when the changes come in September. There has therefore never been a better time to take advantage of an established, proven network and let it shoulder some of the burden, allowing you to receive support with necessary yet time-consuming administrative duties and focus on the day-to-day running of the business while serving families with care.

time to attend given the increasing demands they faced at work.” Michelle worked closely with Julian Hodgkinson, Regional Development Director of Funeral Partners in Northern Ireland, and Beverley Brown, Marketing Manager, to come up with a solution that all Funeral Partners funeral homes in the country could offer their local nursing homes. The result has been mental health webinars, which will be recorded and uploaded by Beverley to the funeral homes’ websites so nursing and care staff can learn about a range of topics in their own time. Michelle explained: “Funeral directors from James Brown & Sons in Belfast to Adair & Neeley in Londonderry can now show these videos to their local nursing and residential homes so they can receive the support they need at their own pace.” “So far we’ve recorded three webinars, including one about physiological exercises to help release stress in fun and practical ways, and plan on recording more over the coming months.”

Funeral Partners is interested in further expansion in Northern Ireland and would be happy to have an informal and confidential chat with any Funeral Directors who are considering selling their businesses. Contact Chief Executive Officer Sam Kershaw, directly on 07834 531822 or email: sam.kershaw@ funeralpartners.co.uk or Acquisition & Mergers Director Steve Wilkinson on 07528 970 531 or email: steve.wilkinson@ funeralpartners.co.uk www.funeralpartnersnorthernireland.com FuneralTimes | 5

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Eimer Duffy is a Social Media Consultant and Trainer at FIT Social Media. She provides customised social media solutions for businesses which require an emotional and compassionate tone of voice to their online presence helping them to gain more visibility, get noticed and build trust online. She co-hosts the only social media for business radio show in Ireland called “The Let’s Get Social Show” every Friday at 2pm on Dublin South FM.

Eimer answers your questions...

ow can you make social media work more effectively for your funeral business? Eimer Duffy has all the latest news, tips and advice when it comes to social media and being online. Q1. What things can I do to improve my business online?

Q3. Where should I start with when it comes to social media?

Eimer says: - Complete your social media channels fully - Engage with your social media community consistently - Understand your audience’s needs - Identify your goals and objectives for being online - Implement a social media strategy

Eimer says: I would start with ensuring your social media accounts are fully completed and up to date. They are the first thing people see on social media and your social media account is like a shop window for your business on that channel. When was the last time you went in and really examined your Facebook business page, Instagram account, LinkedIn profile and not forgetting your Google My Business account (as this is one of the first things people see when they “Google” your business.

Q2. What are the best social media channels to be on? Eimer says: Think about the demographic of your last customers. When it comes to your ideal customer, having a customer persona (i.e. a description of a fictional character that represents your business’s customers or potential customers, based on what you know about them and what motivates them) will help you with what channels to be on. Facebook is the largest platform and people expect you to be on it. Instagram would be the next platform to be on as your customer generational base is using Instagram more and more, and you do need to be on that platform. And not forgetting LinkedIn as this is where not only professionals are, but it gives you the opportunity to network and engage with other stakeholders in the industry. 8 | FuneralTimes

Q4. How many times a week should I post and when? Eimer says: I recommend you check your analytics and insights on each of your social channels. As a rule of thumb, once a day on Facebook in accordance with “the best time to post” for your own business page account (check your Facebook analytics via the desktop). Post then a few times a day on Facebook Stories. The same with Instagram, check your insight (via the mobile app), post once a day and then a few times a day on your Instagram Stories, as this will keep you consistent. With Linkedin, I suggest you post three times a week. Overall, there is no exact “ideal” amount of times to

post, keeping in mind what you post is of interest to your audience, your goals for each post and what social media engagement you want to get. Q5. What should I post on social media? Eimer says: Create content that does one (or more) of these three things - EDUCATE, INSPIRE and STOP THEM SCROLLING. A good mix of content is key. When it comes to the most engaging content type to use, that would be LIVE video, then video, photos and using polls and questions can help with engagement. EDUCATE - What can you teach your audience? What is their biggest frustration? How can you solve their biggest problems and frustrations? INSPIRE - What resonates with your audience? What type of content will create emotion for your audience? STOP SCROLLING - As mentioned earlier LIVE Video and recorded video. Also think about relevant images (eg: with quotes which speak to them). Think about what will capture their attention. Q6. What’s a hashtag for? Eimer says: A hashtag “#” is a word or phrase preceded by the pound symbol which is clickable. Think of it like a topic or better still, think of it like a bucket and every time you use a “#” your post, photo or video is found in that bucket. So for instance #funeral #funeraldirector #undertaker #funeralservices etc... Go the extra mile and use #yourbusinessname (that’s a branded hashtag) and everything you post with that will be found together in that bucket.

f you have any more questions, send them into Eimer and she will answer them for you, and we will publish them in our next edition. All questions submitted and published can be anonymous if you wish. You can email Eimer at eimer@fitsocialmedia.ie.

Q7. How do you get more followers? Eimer says: Simply show up every day. This means you will need to be consistent and appear on social media to answer questions, post related and relevant content to your niche, and engage with your prospective customers and other relevant businesses. It’s very much like networking (but online) and here are a few ideas to increase your followers: - Follow other related businesses and suppliers to you in your niche with your Facebook business page, Instagram Business Account and your Linkedin Personal Profile. - Share other related businesses and suppliers content on your Facebook business page, Instagram Business Account and your Linkedin Personal Profile. - Like and comment on other Facebook business pages, Instagram Business Accounts and on other people’s posts (you are connected with) on Linkedin and people you follow on LinkedIn and who you wish to connect with. - Cross-post your content on your Facebook business page, Instagram business account, your Linkedin personal profile and Google My Business account. - Invite followers on one social channel to follow you on another. - Get involved in social communities as in local and relevant Facebook groups. - Consider using paid ads. - And don’t forget this is social media and not selling media as that can gain you unfollows. Eimer Duffy, FIT Social Media Website: www.fitsocialmedia.ie Phone: 00353 (86) 8492032 Email: eimer@fitsocialmedia.ie

in a free online advice session with Eimer. Simply email your name, company name, phone number and email address to Ruth at sales@funeraltimes.com with the subject line ‘I need Eimer’s help!’ FuneralTimes | 9

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Quinn Hearse and Limousine take further steps towards sustainability with the introduction of their new plug-in hybrid hearses. Available on both Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen Passat chassis the hybrid hearses bring a unique range of benefits to the funeral sector.

“The hybrid vehicles come as part of a larger project into reducing Quinn’s carbon footprint” 12 | FuneralTimes

he E Class hybrid range, based on the EQ Power models are the first steps towards the electrification goals of the German car manufacturer. Increased fuel efficiency means fewer trips to the petrol station as well as considerable savings on fuel costs each year. With a fast charger time of 2 hours, there is minimal outlay on electricity costs as well. A major benefit of the hybrid is at a funeral. When the vehicle is running using the battery, its near-silent, and fumeless approach provides a respectful and dignified environment for the cortege. The hybrid vehicles come as part of a larger project into reducing Quinn’s carbon footprint. The factory ran on wind-power for years, however they have stepped up to look at other areas. One of these is the installation of new state-of-the-art painting equipment. The entire paint process has been overhauled to reduce waste in time, material and energy. They have started with new spray gun technology. Coupled with advanced training for staff this will reduce the amount of paint lost to overspray by 25%. Their new spray booth/oven uses less electricity, less gas and reduces the time spent in the booth with state-of-the-art curing technology. Another part of the project is the overhauling of

the composites process. Using an industry-leading vacuum technique, means that there will be a 33% reduction in waste material and a 25% reduction in labour time for producing bodyshells. In the administrative side, there has been investment into software and systems, meaning less paper usage and a saving in time spent in the dayto-day running of the office. And finally, all materials used have been evaluated, with particular attention taken to source the highest quality materials with the lowest carbon footprint at each stage in the supply chain. This has led to upgrading a number of our chemical products to ensure that we provide the absolute best for each and every customer. So when you purchase a hybrid electric vehicle from Quinn’s, you can rest assured that thoughout the whole process, you are looking out for the environment, as well as maintaining the industryleading build quality you have come to expect in your hearse or limousine.

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The next regeneration

For longer journeys, a powerful 2.0 litre petrol engine delivers great economy,while for shorter, slowe to deliver whisper-quiet, clean and efficient motoring.

With a regenerative braking system that charges the battery by capturing up to 90% of the energy nor Coleman Milne hearses and limousines is light years ahead.

Our Ford hybrid range offers an exceptional combination of petrol engine, electric motor, lithium-ion battery and next generation vehicle technology.

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Norman McBriar & Son take delivery of first Coleman Milne removal vehicle

amily run Norman McBriar & Son have diligently assisted families in the Saintfield area in County Down for many years. The supportive team excel at alleviating stress in what can be an overwhelming experience. The company is enjoying a period of growth and the last 2 years has seen significant improvements. To offer a complete service under one roof, Norman McBriar & Son have relocated to larger purpose-built premises which boasts a mortuary, beautifully decorated reception and viewing rooms, offices, and garage facilities. Their comprehensive service has been complemented by the latest fleet edition of a Mercedes Vito Removal Vehicle with Single Deck Conversion from Coleman Milne. This versatile single fixed deck conversion has the generous capacity to hold two

standard stretchers or coffins or, if required, a combination of both. The vogue grey deck and matching interior panelling makes this conversion both practical and stylish. Mark McBriar commented: “This well-appointed vehicle has proved to be of great benefit to our business, we appreciate the elegance of design which makes a dignified presence. Tony Kerr was very helpful with his support and guidance during the procurement of our new removal vehicle.”

FuneralTimes | 17

THE LIFE OF A GENEALOGY RESEARCHER

taff at Finders International Probate Genealogists locate deceased’s next of kin on behalf of Funeral Directors, Hospitals, Councils, Nursing Homes and Solicitors. Our researchers come across some very interesting and varied cases. In some instances we have limited information about the person who has died and many cases involve research all over the World. We use many different sources for information and sometimes we have to be creative when we reach a dead end. We also have to be thorough and check every lead and consider all possibilities. Every case we research is different and can present its own challenges. Thankfully we like a challenge! It is not unusual to be informed that the person we have contacted is the only sibling of the Deceased…. and then we discover further siblings living close by. Sometimes the information provided is unintentionally incorrect or misleading. This may be because family folklore changed over the years, births weren’t registered or births were registered years later. It can be tricky when fathers, sons and grandsons all have the same name, occupation and all live in the same area. Occasionally a brother may transpire to be a nephew.

Apart from the normal variation with spellings of surnames, we also have to allow for family members who decide to add or drop an “O” or “Mc” from their surname. In Ireland, it is not usual for people to be known locally by a first name which is completely different from the name on their birth certificate. In the past some families that emigrated, in particular to the US, may have anglicized their names, so we need to consider all options when searching for documents. Recently we searched for a birth certificate for a deceased person. We had a copy of their death certificate which listed their age at death as 45 years old. Despite thorough searches, a birth or baptism certificate could not be located. Research led us to the Deceased’s headstone which thankfully provided a date of birth. It transpired that the person had actually died aged 77 and not 45. Based on this new information we successfully located the birth certificate and were able to complete our research. We can regularly be found with our heads in dusty archive books at the National Archives, Valuation Office and Registry of Deeds. While the job can be challenging at times, it is also very rewarding and provides a great sense of satisfaction when we find the correct birth record or person.

HAVE YOU BEEN ASKED TO ARRANGE A FUNERAL WHERE SOMEONE HAS DIED WITH NO KNOWN NEXT OF KIN?

18 | FuneralTimes

Your reputation is our reputation. Thinking of selling your business? You’ll be in safe hands. What our teams are saying about us

The team at John Gray & Co Funeral Directors

It was absolutely the best thing that could have happened and I am brimming with pride to be part of such a fantastic company.

As a team we have the support of all the FPL management. They are encouraging, caring, inclusive, genuine, forward-thinking and we have a superb working relationship and environment to be in. They are very community-minded, support so many projects on an ongoing basis and are very much central to community life on a day-to-day basis. Barbara Wilson, Funeral Arranger John Gray & Co Funeral Directors

For an informal conversation about selling your business now, or in the future, call: Sam Kershaw, Chief Executive Officer 07834 531 822 sam.kershaw@funeralpartners.co.uk

Steve Wilkinson, Acquisition & Mergers Director 07528 970 531 steve.wilkinson@funeralpartners.co.uk

corporate.funeralpartners.co.uk

IAFD ASSOCIATE

IAFD News A Note from IAFD President

ere we are over halfway through the second year of this pandemic. I think a lot of us are suffering from Covid fatigue at this stage, everyone is tired of the conversations about restrictions, guidelines, social distancing, variants, vaccines etc. We have been though at lot and if Covid has taught us anything it is that people are resilient and can adapt to new ways of living when we need to. The board of the IAFD have been busy throughout the year even though we are restricted to meet by Zoom. Our 2020/21 funeral certificate award course has finished, and students are awaiting their results. Earlier in the year, we carried out a survey of members seeking their views on various topics. The Board are now looking at ways of implementing some of the findings of that survey. I know a lot of funeral directors were frustrated by the vaccination roll out, the Board and I share that frustration, we tried everything in our power to get a dedicated vaccination programme for funeral workers and while we received a lot of empty platitudes, we got no vaccines. Thankfully the governments vaccine programme by age cohort after a slow start has been effective and most people that wanted to receive a vaccine should have one by now. As president of the IAFD I would like to thank all funeral directors who have adhered to government guidelines regarding the advertising of funeral arrangements, and I would ask any funeral directors who aren’t adhering to the guidelines to please do so. I have written to the Government and asked for a framework to be put in place for the return of funerals to pre Covid practices as soon as possible and, am awaiting a response. I would like to sympathise with any funeral directors who have lost loved ones during the pandemic Covid related or otherwise, as we all know it has been a very difficult time for grieving families. Hopefully it won’t be long before we can meet again in person, in the meantime take care and stay safe.

Donal Forde IAFD President 20 | FuneralTimes

IAFD News Self-Care and Managing Stress Workshop

he first IAFD Workshop of 2021 took place on 9th June 2021. Like our 2020 AGM, all members were invited to join the workshop via Zoom. For most people in our profession, the events of the past fourteen months have been unusual to say the least. It would probably be more truthful to say they have been challenging, frightening, stressful and sometimes overwhelming. Faced with a global pandemic and with little or no time to prepare, members of the funeral services were thrust onto the frontline. Our own personal safety, the safety of our staff and that of our bereaved families and friends was, and still is, foremost in our minds. However, we should not focus solely on physical health and wellbeing. This past year has brought extra strains to what was already an emotionally draining role; retraining our minds as to the “new norm” for funerals while trying to maintain the traditions and rituals which bring comfort and consolation to the bereaved, advising families of everchanging restrictions, dealing with the disappointment and despair expressed by people who were denied their final goodbye to their loved one, all of these challenges have taken their toll. The importance of self-care, of managing stress and of protecting our mental health has never been more evident or more widely publicised. It is the responsibility of all funeral directors to ensure that their own mental health and that of their employees, is not overlooked. However, accessing the correct information, advice, support and training can sometimes be quite difficult, especially for smaller firms. With all this in mind, we invited Denis O’Connor to host our workshop. Denis has been

working in the area of psychotherapy for over twenty years. He has formulated this two hour event specifically for funeral directors and their teams. The five topics Denis discussed were; • How Stress Affects Us: Physically, Emotionally and Behaviourally. • Secondary Traumatic Stress: How continually working with the bereaved impacts on us • Burnout: Signs, symptoms and how to recognise these • Grief Management: Recognising the different stages of grief • Self Care: Defining what self-care is, How paying attention to our thinking improves wellbeing and Model of self-care For over a year now, members of our association have stood united and worked hard to ensure that the Irish Funeral, the customs we all hold dear, and which bring so much solace to the bereaved, have continued in a respectful, dignified but ultimately safe manner. We can be enormously proud of all we have achieved and of our efforts and ingenuity in the face of unimaginable adversity. It is important now that we ensure that we are healthy and strong in mind & body and fully prepared for what the future may bring. FuneralTimes | 21

IAFD Contacts Donal Forde (President) Forde & Sons Funeral Home South Gate Bridge Cork, Co. Cork Ph: 021 4318222 Email: fordes@indigo.ie

Niamh Sweeney (Education Officer) John Sweeney and Sons Fairgreen Arklow Co Wicklow Ph: 0402 32333 Email: niamh@johnsweeneyandsons.ie

Dara Gillespie (First Vice President) Finlays Funeral Service Tierney Street Ardee, Co. Louth Mobile: 086 7923472 Email: dara.gillespie@finlaygrp.com

Dermot McCarthy McCarthy’s Funeral Home Gurrane, Banteer, Cork. Ph: 029 56044 Email: dermot@mccarthyfuneraldirectors. com

Robert Fanagan (Immediate Past President) Fanagans Willbrook Street, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14 Ph: 01 4931000 Email: robert@fanagans.ie Niall Mulligan (Hon. Treasurer) Heffernan’s Funeral Directors Trim, Co. Meath Mobile: 086 8208501 Ph: 046 9438662 Email: heffernansfd@gmail.com

Edwina Fitzgerald Fitzgeralds Funeral Directors Channel Road Rush Co. Dublin Ph: 087 3512949 Email: edwinafitzgerald78@gmail.com Keith Greaney Conneely Funeral Directors Flood Street Galway 091 562866 keithgreaney@gmail.com

Mary Cunniffe (PRO) Massey Bros Funeral Home Templeogue Village Dublin 6W Mobile: 085 8010742 Ph: 01 4907601 Email: mary.cunniffe@hotmail.com

Tom Lawless Lawless Funeral Directors Mucklagh, Tullamore, Co. Offaly Ph: 057 9322622 Email: info@tullamorefunerals.ie

Fintan Cooney (Membership Officer) Fanagans 54 Aungier Street Dublin 2 Ph: 01 4167700 Email: fintanjen@gmail.com

Kylie Gourley Funeral Partners Northern Ireland 300 Newtownards Road Belfast BT4 1HF Ph: 028 9045 1021 Email: kylie.gourley@funeralpartners.com

22 | FuneralTimes

Benefits of joining Irish Association of Funeral Directors • Membership of a professional organisation recognised by the general public • Board of funeral professionals available to assist members • Funeral director led organisation for promoting and developing standards of funeral service including a Code of Practice for all Members • Representation of Members with Government, local authorities and media • Unique all island network of funeral directors • Professional Indemnity Insurance included as part of Membership fees • Dispute resolution and Mediation -including legal advisory service • Access to IAFD education programme • Links to other trade associations

New Delivery -

Quinn Hearse and Limousine

Joe Grogan, J.F. Grogan Funeral Directors, Tuam with the Quinn E Class Hybrid 3 Door FuneralTimes | 23

Going the extra mile... I

realise that over the years I’ve met the loveliest of people through my work as a funeral celebrant, and I have ended up with life long friends, and some wonderful supportive professional associates. When I step into a new day, I always expect something delightful to happen – and in general something always does! Life is full of serendipitous moments – the missed flight connection, an unexpected twist to a story, chance meetings and some unexplained coincidences that keep life interesting. With the masks, social distancing, and restricted travel, this is much harder. Harder to read eyes, body language, or connect with a smile. At the

same time, doing the same thing, seeing the same people day in day out, experiencing the same environments without change, is no recipe for those chance encounters which inject vitality and a sense of discovery into all our lives. So, I’m reminding myself to make an extra effort, to not forget to try more new things. To be nice to everyone that crosses my path. To embrace chaos when things don’t go to plan, to be willing to change. What can seem like a setback, could actually be the right outcome. What seems like a chance meeting could be the start of a beautiful friendship or partnership. Always be open to new possibilities.

FuneralTimes | 25

Tallon Mortuary Specialists new class I t has been a very tough 2 years especially for our students trying to gain their important qualification. None of us could have foreseen what was to follow. The cancellation of our training days for our safety and well being and no idea when we would reach our goal. As an accrediated College of the European Association of Embalmers (EAE), Tallon

Mortuary Specialists are able to start people on the roadmap of gaining their qualifications. Congratulations to all of our students who are now fully qualified embalmers. We wish them every success in helping those deceased and families they are called upon to serve. Presentation at Newgrange Hotel in Navan in 22nd August.

Front L-R: Claire O’Sullivan, Natasha Cramp, Anita Tierney, Sarah Brophy, Meabh McArdle, Back L-R: Glyn Tallon (TMS), Sam Roy, Aaron Howard, Mark Bright, Claudie Mahony, Fionan Tallon (TMS)

Glyn and Claudie with Robert Samuel Roy 26 | FuneralTimes

Glyn and Claudie with Sarah Brophy

Glyn and Claudie with Aaron Howard

Glyn and Claudie with Anita Tierney

Glyn and Claudie with Claire O’Sullivan

Glyn and Claudie with Mark Bright

Glyn and Claudie with Meabh McArdle

Glyn and Claudie with Natasha Cramp FuneralTimes | 27

Mark Bright is presented with the Tallon Mortuary Specialists Award for achieving the highest aggregate score for the year 2020

TMS prep room 28 | FuneralTimes

Frank Campbell at his Desk

Funereal Soft Furnishings Ltd, are a family run business since 1942. We supply funeral directors and coffin manufacturers with coffin interiors, shrouds, coffin pads and consumable products. Our company has been in operation for over 70 years. The company started as Shroud Manufacturers, part of W L Doggart & Sons, Undertakers Merchants on 26 February 1942. The factory was based at 7 James Street South, Belfast. Frank Campbell, joined the company in April 1951 and went on to be Managing Director in the company until his retirement in 2001. Franks son Mark who joined the business in 1991 now owns and runs Funereal Soft Furnishings.

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John McCormack, Tipperary with his newly built Quinn E Class hearse from Quinn Hearse and Limousine

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School of Embalming Qualify for membership of an internationally recognised embalming qualification at your own pace • 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. • We offer both Distance Learning and attended courses.

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30 | FuneralTimes

Glyn Tallon - 14 Academy Street, Navan, Co. Meath Tel: 086 826 8876 / Fax: 046 903 6001 Web: www.tallonmortuaryspecialists.com Email: info@tallonmortuaryspecialists.com

BIE News BIE News Ireland Division Hi All, I want to thank everyone who attended our last meeting on the 25th July, it was great to see everyone! Mr. Craig Caldwell joined us to give a phenomenal educational presentation on “embalming bone, tissue and organ donation cases”. He gave a great step by step approach to these cases. To say I was blown away is an understatement! Our next meeting is on the 24th October via Zoom for now, we may be able to organise a face to face meeting as we look into the easing of the restrictions. So once again I would really encourage all our members to attend as I can guarantee you won’t regret it! We have had a great year with very interesting speakers and topics, as I’ve said before all ideas are welcome. As Chairperson of the Irish Division I would like to direct my awareness and concern on a specific topic that has been brought to my attention over the last couple of years and also in my own experience during my time so far in this industry. I am shocked to see we are just

like any other industry in the perspective of bullying and mistreatment towards other embalmers. It is real petty behaviour in adults but it does happen! The industry we work within is supposed to be full of empathy and compassion but in certain situations this is far from the case. I’m sure everyone has either experienced bullying at some stage during your life but if you are unlucky enough to experience this in adulthood and in the working world it can be intimidating! In my own experience it took a lot of courage to speak up for myself and unfortunately it didn’t work for me, the only resolution was to remove myself completely from the situation. Thankfully I’m away from that situation and will never allow myself to be in that position again. This may seem like a bit of a ramble but I want to bring awareness to bullying in this industry. As Chairperson I want everyone to be aware and to know that you are not alone, if you ever need a rant or even a bit of advice in confidence my phone

number is on the next page on the list of officers. Also be mindful that the BIE are currently providing “member support & counselling service” available to all our member and students. The details of this service has been sent through via e-mail. On a final note, basically I want to raise awareness amongst embalmers and students, it is a subject that gets to me and people are quick to forget or don’t want to hear it. If I can manage to help even one person it would be a privilege. We will see where our next meeting takes us whether it be via zoom or face to face, I can’t wait to see everyone again. Stay safe. BIE Irish Chairperson Niamh Cusack

BIE News BIE News FuneralTimes | 31

List of BIE Officers and Appointed Representatives for 2021 IRISH DIVISION Chairperson: Niamh Cusack MBIE Ballingowan West, Villierstown, Cappoquin, Co. Waterford. Tel: 086 3744762 E: cusackembalmings@gmail.com 2nd Vice Chairperson: Robert Fehily MBIE Strand Road, Carrigaline, Co. Cork Tel: 087 660919 E: robertfehily@gmail.com Secretary: Jennifer Tighe MBIE St. Patrick Street, Boyle, Co. Roscommon Tel: 086 8854333 E: Jennytighe30@yahoo.com National Council Rep 1: Pamela Murphy MBIE 14 Parknasillogue Court, Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow Mobile: 085 7415421 National Council Rep 2 & Divisional Liaison:: Barbara Fowley Cruagh Lane Killakee Rathfarnham, Dublin 16 Mobile: 086 1911022 E: Barbarafowley@yahoo.ie

Treasurer: John Hawe MBIE 12 Meadow Vale, Smith’s Road, Charleville, Co. Cork Mobile: 087 6390087 E: jmhawe@eircom.net Public Relations Offcer: Cyril Gantley MBIE 336 Kildare Road, Crumlin, Dublin 12 Mobile: 085 7671582 E: cyril.gantley@mortuaryscience.ie Professional Standards Rep: Susan Moran 20 Cedarwood Park, Newbridge, Co. Kildare Mobile: 086 0619500 E: susan.moran@mortuaryscience.ie National Education Rep: Ann Shepherd Lisameen,Ballinalee Longford, Co longford Mobile:086 2784244 E: annshepherdbie@gmail.com NORTHERN IRELAND DIVISION Chairman Pat Harley, MBIE 67 Creggan Road, L’derry BT48 9DA Tel: 07712 899137 E: pat.harley@hotmail.co.uk

Vice Chairman: Mrs N Taggart, MBIE 11 Alderley Crescent, Newtownabbey BT36 7WY Tel: 07917 220073 E: nikkiknockaning@aol.com 1st National Council Representative: Laurence O’Neill MBIE 98 Stewartstown Road, Belfast BT11 9JP Tel: 028 9062 0099 E: oneill8210@hotmail.com 2nd National Council Representative: Ellison Sloan MBIE Tel: 028 3833 6175 Treasurer: Andrew McMullan MBIE 22 High Street, Ballymoney Co. Antrim BT53 6AQ Tel: 028 2766 2265 E: andrew@mcmullanfunerals. com Secretary: Liam Edwin Boyle, MBIE 4 Bradford Place Belfast BT8 7AW Tel: 07713 575501 E: liamboyle15@hotmail.co.uk

BIE News BIE News 32 | FuneralTimes

List of BIE Officers and Appointed Representatives for 2021 Public Relations Offcer: Ciaran Bailie Tel. 07523 477852 27 Navan Court Armagh 1st Educational Committee Representative: Stephen Shields MBIE James Brown & Sons 300 Newtownards Road, Belfast Tel: 028 9045 1021 E: jamesbrown.belfast@ funeralpartners.com

National President: Bobby Hopkin-Hoggarth MBIE Imm. Past President: Dr Phil Gore MBIE 1st Vice President: Dianne Hughes National PRO & National General Secretary: Karen Caney FBIE

Editor: Gwen Schofield FBIE 9 Seymour Walk, Meltham, Holmfirth HD9 4BP Home Tel: 01484 851994 Mobile: 07778 279100 E: gwen.schofield@ntlworld.co.uk

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Student Liaison Officer Charlie Poots MBIE

National Treasurer: Michael Liddle FBIE 10 Yew Tree Close, Silsoe MK45 4EQ Business Tel: 01582 490005 Home Tel: 01525 860117 E: michael@silsloe.wanadoo.co.uk

Mobile: 07786 432014 E: karencaney@btopenworld.com

Master Fellow: David Kaye FBIE Student Liaison Officer: David Coster MBIE

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A delighted Brendan Burns, from Burns Funeral Directors, Tuam collects his 5 Door hearse from Quinn Hearse and Limousine

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Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke

NICHS helps long COVID sufferer Rebecca Logan 4

0-year-old Rebecca Logan, a busy mum of two from Dundonald in Belfast was working as a bank nurse and taught 12 fitness classes a week before she took ill with COVID-19. In April 2020 Rebecca was working in a COVID Emergency Department when she felt unwell and became dizzy and lost her sense of taste and smell. When she took a test and it was positive, she thought she would feel better after a few days. But by day fourteen, she was a lot worse and five weeks later Rebecca was not better. Rebecca explains “The fatigue was horrendous, I developed joint pain and headaches, dizziness, brain fog and more. “I wasn’t ever admitted to hospital but had to go to A&E with my breathing. Months later, Rebecca’s symptoms were still ongoing. COVID became Long COVID. “I got breathless when I was tired. Some days I would wake up exhausted and the breathlessness would be there all day. The main thing was the pain and the fatigue.” Rebecca joined Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke’s Long COVID Recovery Service. “It was fantastic. We learnt breathing and relaxation techniques, and they got me into the habit of doing them regularly, which was really beneficial.”

“The Long COVID Service didn’t take the symptoms away, but it helped me to manage them better and gave me the tools to do that. “It was great to talk to others who understood what you were going through, a relief to know that you weren’t on your own. Up until then, nobody had really taken any interest, outside of close friends and family. Everyone in the group could relate to each other.” “The NICHS staff were always there, pointing me in the right direction. “Your friends and family care but they don’t really get it. If you’ve had a really bad week, you’d go to the group, and it was encouraging to hear that you weren’t the only one! Or if you’ve had a good week, you could share your success.” Rebecca’s health continues to slowly improve as she implements the techniques she learnt through the programme. “I can’t get my head around the fact that a charity is leading the Long COVID support here and it receives no funding. I don’t think people realise how important it has been. It’s given me a lift, and even though I’m not 100% better, I can see a light at the end of the tunnel.” To find out more about NICHS care services and health support, visit www.nichs.org.uk

FuneralTimes | 37

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Creative Binding reacts to changing circumstances I

t goes without saying the last 18 months have made an impact on the lives of all. It has also effected just about every business sector, in one aspect or another, typically in line with governmental restrictions, policies and advice, on a country to country basis. Ireland’s funeral sector has seen itself forced to endure one of the most turbulent and challenging periods in recent history with health and safety regulations and attendance restrictions changing the very way we grieve and, as an industry, operate. With reduced numbers at funerals, a natural aversion to sharing items with others, and the ‘hands, face, space’ tagline one of many encouraging us not to gather, it is no surprise that Damien and the team at Creative Binding found the need for condolence books waning quickly. With this being said, when one door closes, another opens in many walks of life. This has proven true with the rise in popularity in online condolences. While perhaps not having quite

the same personal touch as a handwritten message, the fact is that we typically take more time to carefully construct a thoughtful, heartfelt message, as opposed to the sometimes rushed sentiments we have the time to leave while queuing for the service. Creative Binding can offer families a collection of messages left in either Ringbinder or Interscrew Binder styles, coming with an accompanying presentation box.

FuneralTimes | 39

New Delivery -

Quinn Hearse and Limousine

Mark and Kieran from Mullen’s Funeral Directors, Cootehill with their newly built Quinn E Class in front of their funeral home

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Over 100 years of service D

arren McDonagh, writing for Western People, recently covered the story of Sharkey Funeral Directors, hailing from Ballaghaderreen and Frenchpark. Tommy Sharkey, the fourth generation owner of the firm, feels privileged that families still to this day turn to them in their time of need, after 130 years service to the industry and local families. Throughout this period of time the family-run business has naturally seen more than its fair share of change. One such example of this came in the form of advancements in transportation. Earlier this summer, Tommy revealed a beautifully restored Marsden Town Hearse, a Victorian horse-drawn carriage first used by Big Tom Sharkey, the business’ original proprietor at the turn of the 20th Century. Last used during the Suez Canal Crisis in 1956 due to oil rationing, the hearse has been kept in storage for decades and carefully renovated by the family (Tommy and his three sons). While the value of honouring tradition is not lost on Tommy, nor is that of progress, with recent years before COVID seeing the firm introduce both live streaming of services

and drone coverage of cortege routes for those unable to attend the funeral in person. Tommy’s hope for the future is to continue proudly serving the communities of Ballaghaderreen and Frenchpark, his family having dedicated themselves to the industry for over a century. FuneralTimes | 41

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NAFD News The NAFD consults on ambitious five-year strategy 2018-2021 have been an extraordinary and unprecedented three years for the funeral profession and for the NAFD, a time of dramatic change for bereaved people and all those who care for them. From the introduction of regulation, to changing consumer needs, a political and media focus on the cost of a funeral, the introduction of direct cremation – and a global pandemic, the NAFD has not only sought to support members in practical ways in responding to these challenges, It has also, increasingly, sought to anticipate and shape them too - with the aim of ensuring the funeral sector is the architect of its own future, rather than simply being subject to it. This has already necessitated significant change within the NAFD, in terms of how it operates, thinks and behaves. We are proud of the work we have done to get to this point but, to ensure we fully achieve our mission to be an inclusive and progressive advocate for our members in the funeral profession - and for bereaved people - across all four nations of the United Kingdom, we still have much more to do. To guide the next steps, the NAFD team has been working on an ambitious five-year strategy, which covers the period 2022-2027, and sets out how the NAFD intends to develop the

support and services through focus on four key priorities: • Protecting and informing the public, ensuring they know to expect high standards from funeral directors; • Advocating and campaigning for the diverse needs of all NAFD member firms; • Promoting social responsibility, reflecting the diverse and changing needs of society and the environment in the work of the NAFD and its members; and • Enriching the sector, enabling funeral service employees, at all levels, to achieve their full potential. Chief Executive Jon Levett said: “The NAFD’s Mission is ’to be an inclusive and progressive advocate for the funeral profession and bereaved people in all four nations of the United Kingdom’. The five year strategy will support us in achieving this Mission Statement, through the promotion of high standards, the provision of resources to support our members in caring for deceased and bereaved people – and through ensuring funeral consumers can make informed decisions.” Please contact the NAFD at trainingadmin@ nafd.org.uk to reserve your place now! FuneralTimes | 45

NAFD supports members in compliance with new Competition and Markets Authority requirements

n July, the NAFD hosted a webinar at which members of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) team answered members’ questions and outlined some of the key requirements of the Funerals Market Investigation Order. Over 200 member firms watched the session, which was chaired by NAFD President Kate Edwards, either live or on playback via the NAFD members portal. During the course of sixty minutes, NAFD Chief Executive Jon Levett posed more than fifty questions to CMA funerals market team members Colin Garland and Dipesh Shah, including on issues such as how to accurately complete the Standardised Price List, whether funeral homes are permitted to offer familiarisation training to care home staff, what the term ‘ultimate owner’ really means and what information needs to appear on the A2 posters (or digital displays) that will

be required in all UK funeral homes from 16 September. A video of the webinar can now be found on the NAFD members’ web portal and a third Frequently Asked Questions document was created from many of the questions asked and will be released on the NAFD website, checked with the CMA and released online. This included answers on some of the key issues that were not resolved during the webinar, and on which the NAFD believes the CMA still needs to provide greater clarity. For all the information you need on how to comply, please visit the NAFD’s dedicated webpage: www.nafd.org. uk/cmaorder. In the final few weeks before compliance begins on 16 September, the NAFD team has called all member firms to check how they are doing and see if they need any further support.

First NAFD Summer School proves a popular draw

he first NAFD Summer School, held at St Chad’s College, Durham University in August proved to be an inspiring and thought-provoking few days. NAFD members and non-members and stakeholders connected to the sector, including faith leaders, celebrants and advisors – as well as students studying for their NAFD qualifications had all signed up to the inaugural

46 | FuneralTimes

event, which takes place over three days. Hosted by the renowned anthropologist and theologian Professor Douglas Davies, the event focused on a range of professional development topics for funeral directors, including perceptions of the role of funeral directors, British beliefs about life, death and the afterlife, theories of grief, funeral rites

of passage and how the COVID-19 crisis has affected the funeral profession. Professor Davies trained in Anthropology (Durham and Oxford) and Theology (Durham) and is now Professor in the Study of Religion and Director of the Centre for Death and Life Studies, at Durham University. He is a regular contributor to discussions on death ritual and belief on BBC Radio 4, considering the topics from religious, theological, health and welfare, public policy, historical and social science perspectives. Reverend Juliet Stephenson of The Good Funeral Company, part of the Church of England in the Diocese of Liverpool, reflected at the

end of the event that it was “a wonderful way to reconnect with the purpose of what we do.” She also described her experience of the NAFD’s first Summer School as “time to reflect and respond with thought-provoking and, sometimes, challenging reasoning behind the work that we do on a daily basis. Sometimes we can lose the vision, this was a chance to recentre and properly have a think.” The feedback from the event has been remarkable, with virtually all attendees saying that they would like to attend again – and others commenting on how much they would like to have been there. Planning is already underway for the 2022 Summer School event.

Wales Cross Party Group is re-established in the sixth Senedd

he Cross Party Group for Funerals and Bereavement was first established, in 2013, to provide a forum for the discussion of funeral and bereavement issues affecting the people of Wales and the professionals who care for them. In July, the Group was re-established, with Mark Isherwood MS once again elected as Chair, at an inaugural meeting, held virtually, to discuss the work programme for the years ahead. During the Fifth Senedd, membership of the Group expanded during the period to also encompass a wider range of bereavementfocused organisations and other representatives of the funeral profession, as well as members of the Senedd. Secretariat for the Group continues to be funded by the National Association of Funeral Directors. The Group has focused on a wide range of funeral, bereavement and end-of-life issues. Towards the end of the term, the Coronavirus pandemic became a primary focus of the Group, including highlighting the impact of COVID on grieving people and needs of the frontline funeral, burial and cremation keyworkers, to both the Welsh and UK Governments. Bereavement has always been a core focus of the Group and, given the impact on grief of the pandemic, this focus will remain

at the top of the agenda in the Sixth Senedd. Regulation – both of funeral firms and funeral plans – will continue to be a priority for the Group, along with the introduction of the Medical Examiner Service in Wales, reforms to burial and cremation regulations, and to death certification – as well as the needs of those families in Wales for whom financial support to cover the cost of a funeral is important. In 2020, a lack of understanding, particularly by public sector bodies, of the specific bereavement needs of BAME families in Wales was highlighted by a member of the Group and this has led to creation of workshops, which are now offered to any relevant organisation involved with BAME communities. As well as holding individual meetings, the Group also held a joint meeting with the Cross Party Group on Hospices and Palliative Care to discuss topics of mutual interest in 2020 and there are plans to repeat this, going forward, given the Group’s shared agenda on many issues. Mark Isherwood MS, as Chair of the Cross Party Group for Funerals and Bereavement, has also been invited to attend the Westminster All Party Group for Funerals and Bereavement, to facilitate shared learning and exchange of ideas and experience. FuneralTimes | 47

The NAFD expands team

Stacy Tuohy

Lisa Sturman

Over the last couple of months, the NAFD has welcomed three new members of the team. Stacy Tuohy has joined as Projects and Marketing Officer, working with the team across all departments on a number of projects to support with NAFD’s multiple websites, membership relationship management systems and processes and exploring ways to ensure the NAFD is doing all it can to support and communicate with members and the funeral profession.

David Hunter Lisa Sturman is the new Operations Officer, offering administration support across the organisation, including leading on Funeral Director Monthly advertising and digital sales, assisting member data updates on Funeral Directory, maintaining social media accounts and helping plan and promote events. And David Hunter, has joined the team as Standards and Quality Manager, having spent more than 25 years in the funeral profession in both corporate and independent businesses.

NAFD Celebrating Success Diploma Awards!

he NAFD’s Annual Celebrating Success Diploma Awards event recognises the achievements of NAFD Diploma students, in front of an audience of their family, friends, employers and colleagues. For the first time, the event had to be cancelled in 2020, due to the pandemic…but it’s back: bigger and better than ever on 18 September - and with plenty of sparkle and fun to accompany the all-important graduation ceremony. The 2021 celebration is being held at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel and includes a three-course dinner and entertainment. The event will also recognise those students who graduated in 2020, as well as the Class of April 2021, to make sure that all students have an opportunity to celebrate their achievements. As a tutor, NAFD President Kate Edwards

48 | FuneralTimes

has worked hard to support students through their qualifications, across two of the most difficult years for the funeral profession. She said: “Celebrating Success has long been one of the highlights of my year as it’s an opportunity to recognise the hard work of NAFD students, who complete their studies at the same time as working in funeral service to care for bereaved people. For the Classes of 2020 and 2021, their studies have been significantly disrupted by lockdowns and distancing requirements which have forced them to study remotely and without the camaraderie that traditionally accompanies the diploma courses. I am lost in admiration for their resilience and focus and can’t wait to see all their proud and smiling faces, when I have the honour of presenting them with their diplomas.”

NAFD News Competition and Markets Authority introduce new measures F uneral Directors in Northern Ireland will have to display price lists in branches and online from September as part of a new, legally-binding Order by the Competition and Markets Authority. From September 16th 2021, any business that operates funerals and crematoria will have to comply with a range of measures aimed at helping bereaved people make more informed choices with easier access to prices and services. Failure to do so could involve legal injunctions being imposed by the CMA and leave operators open to legal action on behalf of clients who feel they have been potentially over charged or mis-sold a funeral. In introducing the new, UK-wide obligations, the CMA said that it understood “that funeral directors have the best interests of their clients at heart.” It added: “However, our Market Investigation into the sector has shown that, for many people, arranging a funeral can still be a confusing process and far more expensive than they expected.” Under the Order, funeral directors must display a Standardised Price List clearly and prominently in their branch window, inside the branch, and online where the business has an online presence. The List must include the headline price of the CMA Attended Funeral and CMA Unattended Funeral (if offered), the price of the individual items comprising the CMA Attended Funeral and the price of certain additional products and services. More details

can be found on the Government website. At the same time, the Order prohibits funeral directors from making payments to incentivise hospitals, palliative care services, hospices, care homes or similar institutions to refer customers, and from soliciting for business from customers through your provision of services under coroner and police contracts. Jon Levett, Chief Executive of the National Association of Funeral Directors, said: “Although many funeral firms do publish pricing information online, some don’t and there is a wide range of formats used which can be confusing for bereaved consumers at a difficult time. “The CMA’s requirements, although extremely complex in places for small businesses to navigate, support the delivery of high standards to funeral consumers and bring consistency to the process of choosing a funeral director. “The NAFD will support funeral firms over the summer to ensure they have all the information they need to comply – and provide feedback to the CMA on these new processes, enabling them to refine them, over time, to ensure they assist bereaved people in making informed choices, and promote healthy competition in the funeral sector.” The NAFD has written to all Funeral Times subscribers offering support materials it has on its website – whether they are members or not – available at nafd.org.uk with Mr Levett adding “It is important that the profession pulls together for the benefit of bereaved people”.

FuneralTimes | 49

Finlays of Ardee Ltd. Office: Tierney Street, Ardee, Co. Louth Factory: Kells Road, Ardee, Co. Louth Tel: (041) 6853603 (Int'l +353) • From the U.K. call: (0870) 241 0652

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s we fast approach the final quarter of 2021 and begin to see lifting of restrictions across the Island, Our Team are committed to continue supporting the needs of you our Partner and the Funeral Sector as we move through this period of uncertainty. We as your Partner are committed to continually monitor and adjust to your requirements. COFFIN RANGE • We are maintaining our level of increased coffin production and continue to plan to increase from the current 170% of our normal output to 200% of our normal output. • We are producing all of our c. 130 coffin models and our full range of coffin shade and model options remains available. • We maintain a level of stock of Outsize coffins. • We maintain a level of stock of Environmental coffins.

DELIVERIES We have increased the number of deliveries we carry out along with the introduction of new weekly route plans to better serve you our Partner.

We are your Partner whether you are a current Customer or not, we will do our utmost to support you and your bereaved Families when you need us.

Excellence in Funeral Products and Services 50 | FuneralTimes

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

Lakelands continue to support families

he Covid-19 pandemic has affected practically every aspect of normal, everyday life. Some have seen minor changes while certain parts of what we have taken for granted for years have seen fundamental change. One of these hugely affected areas is funerals. The death of a loved one or friend is something that everyone has to face at some point along life’s journey and the rituals we observe at such times are precious to us, sacred even. Having so many of these comforting and reassuring rituals taken from us has made this past year so much more difficult and painful for so many. It has fallen to funeral directors around the world, and certainly here at home, to find ways to work in tandem with Government guidelines and within the necessary health and safety restrictions to allow the bereaved to mark the passing of their loved one with dignity and respect and to allow each funeral to be a true, albeit different commemoration of the deceased individual. Here at Lakelands Crematorium, we have been very aware of the challenges our global situation has presented us, and we have sought new and imaginative ways to faithfully, but safely arrange each cremation. As has always been the case, we have sought to work with funeral directors who come to us for cremation services in responding to the bereaved family and friends’ wishes. This can mean streaming the service online from our crematorium through our webcam or having the service recorded so that a copy of it can be shared with the family afterwards. Using Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, we’ve been able to connect with family members who’ve been unable to journey to the service, so that they might speak and share memories and reflections of their loved one. In the same way, in certain, more restricted cases, we’ve been able to allow clergy and civil celebrants to offer prayers and words of consolation, even when they’ve been unable to be here in person. We have felt it especially important at this time to be able to open our doors to immediate family members and close friends, and although the numbers allowed at our services by Government guidelines have been greatly restricted, we know how important it is for even a small number to be able to be present on their loved ones final journey, just

52 | FuneralTimes

Lakelands Crematorium, Co. Cavan as they themselves acknowledge the importance of being able to represent the wider circle of loved ones who would be there in normal circumstances. Naturally, we have followed all social distancing protocols within the crematorium, as well as offering hand sanitising stations, both for visitors and our staff, who have had access to PPE from the very beginning, from gloves and masks to full body protection when needed. We have worked in conjunction with, and have supported our local Churches in their efforts during this difficult time and these efforts have been deeply appreciated by those who have had to come to us during this time. We will continue to help all who come here to the best of our ability until such time as our old ways can return, with the wakes at home, time for viewing and sympathising and the Mass or Service in the church or chapel. In the absence of a sympathetic handshake or a reassuring hug, the need for an open ear and an understanding heart is felt all the more. In ways both professional and personal, we will continue to offer such support here at Lakelands Crematorium.

Our Crematorium, Facilities and Remembrance Garden are available 7 days a week to accommodate Families and Funeral Directors (no weekend surcharge) Memorial Keepsakes

Lakelands Crematorium, Dublin Rd, Cavan, Co. Cavan Tel: 049 4362200 / mob: 086 2458489 email: info@LakelandsCrematorium.ie www.LakelandsCrematorium.ie

A new beginning for Hogan’s of Tralee A new funeral home but one with over 90 years of experience behind it.

eán Lynch of Kerry Funeral Directors, Castlegregory recently purchased Hogan’s Funeral Home in Tralee. As part of their plans for the future a major refurbishment on the premises has been carried out putting care, sensitivity and attention to the needs of bereaved families as the focus. Making empathy, compassion and contemplation the centre point of bereavement is something which Lynch’s Funerals have been doing for over 30 years. As part of the Lynch family’s plans, the funeral home has been fully renovated to cater for all requirements. The Lynch family were anxious to carry on the proud tradition and retain the Hogan name while adding their own personal touch. With this in mind Seán has fully refurbished the funeral home adding modern facilities while retaining the core features of the build. John O’Rahilly, who worked with Gerard Hogan for many years, will continue to work alongside Seán and their joint experience is of major benefit to bereaved families.

The Fuschia Room The updated Hogan’s Funeral Home is a contemporary and spacious setting complete with serenity garden and water feature providing a space for respite and private contemplation during a funeral. “We feel the addition of a serenity garden right in the middle of a town will appeal to families looking for a different funeral experience. Often this can be a long day, and this gives them space to have some reflective time. It’s a lovely and private space,” said Orla Lynch. “We are aware of the reputation Hogan’s Funeral Home has among families of Tralee and environs going back generations. We want to build on this connection by developing the premises into a contemporary space with compassion and contemplation as it’s primary focus.”

eán believes that it is important to provide a separate space for families to take time out and has provided a lounge with coffee/tea station. There is also a piano there should they wish for music to be provided.

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ogan’s serenity garden is a large quiet space measuring 30m x 12m providing a reflective space for families and friends during a time of grief. The garden has its own water feature, seating and beautiful shrubs and flowers to add to the calming nature. Hogans was established in 1933 by Eugene Hogan. His son Gerard ran the funeral business until his passing in January 2020. John O’Rahilly worked alongside Gerard and has over 60 years experience in the business. Seán Lynch of Kerry Funeral Directors, Castlegregory recently purchased the business and has been in the profession for over 30 years. Together with John, they have over 90 years of experience priding themselves on the care, sensitivity and attention to the needs of both the deceased and their loved ones during this period of loss. Seán is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. He can be reached on 066 7121119 or mobile 087 6865632 or on email at hogansfuneralhome@gmail. FuneralTimes | 55

Control your coffin stock levels with Obit O

bit now allows you to put key items under Stock Control - in most cases this means Coffins. Obit allows you to set the initial stock level and ensures that you never accept orders for items you no longer have available. You can also use Obit to set a reminder when stock levels are low. This can be very useful if you have multiple members of staff acting independently. Obit will assign the available inventory on a strict first-come first-served basis. This means Obit always displays the exact amount on hand and you’ll never mistakenly sell an out of stock item. Obit’s notification system allows you to decide who should get which notifications. Those tasked with managing the inventory will get warnings when the Alarm Stock level is reached

and when Zero Stock occurs, allowing timely replenishment ordering. There are overviews showing the Available stock and the number of units assigned to yetto-be completed funerals - you can also drill down to see which uncompleted funerals have been assigned units from inventory. Whilst Coffins are the most expensive and important items in the Funeral Director’s inventory, the stock control feature in Obit can be used for other items. Inventory management is just one area where Obit can add value to a funeral director’s day to day operations. We offer a full service solution for every modern funeral professional. If you’d like to know more about everything Obit can do, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

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www.coachbuilders.ie sales@coachbuilders.ie Tel: +353 87 269 0044 Ballyfinane, Firies, Killarney, Co. Kerry

Join the association that’s leading the way. Representing and promoting the interests of 850 independent funeral directors. SAIF is at the forefront of tackling the big industry issues that matter to you. As the united voice of independent funeral directors we have led the way in setting the highest standards of professionalism and conduct within the industry. By joining SAIF you too can demonstrate that you uphold this same commitment. For over 25 years SAIF has been promoting and protecting the interests and values of independent funeral directors. Supporting our members is at the heart of everything we do, listening, responding and engaging to secure your independent future.

Join SAIF now: visit saif.org.uk or call us on 0345 230 6777 or 01279 726 777

Saif News Saif News SAVE THE DATE: SAIF Education Day 10th November - Leicester Tigers

Bookings for SAIF’s Education Day which is to be held at Leicester Tigers, Leicester are now available by clicking this link https:// www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/saif-education-day2021-tickets-164828128369 or by visiting the Events page on the SAIF website. The topics to be covered are: • Environment and Impact on the funeral profession Simon Holbrook, Senior Advisor on Regulated Activity at Environmental Agency • EQ -the secret superpower of funeral arranging? What is emotional intelligence, how do you know if you’ve got it, how do you get it and

how can you equip your team? Joanne Williams, Head of Counselling at Professional Help • Diversity & Inclusion within the Funeral Profession Sheri Hughes, UK Diversity & Inclusion Director at PageGroup • Updates from the IFD College including the launch of the ‘IFD College Diploma’ • Regulation updates including Preparation for FCA Funeral Plan Regulations We cannot wait to see you all again IN PERSON and it’s going to be a fabulous day together.

Simon Holbrook Senior Advisor on Regulated Activity at Environ. Agency

Sheri Hughes - UK Diversity & Inclusion Director at PageGroup

Joanne Williams Head of Counselling at Professional Help

Chris Parker - Chair of The Governors for the IFD College FuneralTimes | 59

Saif News Saif News

CMA Deadline - 16th September 2021

emember the deadline to ensure as a funeral director that you are compliant with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) Legal Order (was the 16th September). https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/ media/60c8b3c4e90e07439684be6b/ Funerals_The_Funerals_Market_Investigation_ Order_2021_150621.pdf If you are a SAIF member there are lots of resources including templates and recorded

webinars by logging into the members area of the SAIF website. If you need assistance with logging in then please contact the SAIF Business Centre on 01279 726777. If you are not a member then please visit https://saif.org.uk/why-join-saif/ how-to-become-a-member/ for information on how to become a member or please call the SAIF Business Centre where we will be more than happy to assist you.

Meet the Team Many of you may have spoken to the SAIF Business Centre at one time or another but apart from continuing to provide the support to our members each of the team has a key responsibility: Terry Tennens: Chief Executive Claire Day: Administration Manager Corinne Pengelly: The administrator for The Independent Funeral Director (IFD) College Maria Sherlock: Administers the new application process Sam Reynolds: Administers the quality assurance inspections and the annual subscription renewals Angela Camp: Administers the digital arena including the SAIF website, SAIF briefings, social media, webinars as well as arranging and coordinating regional meetings 60 | FuneralTimes

Mortuary Services & Training Specialists Professional and very Competitive Repatriation Service. Nationwide Collection and Embalming Service. Daily Collections from Dublin Hospitals, Nursing Homes etc. (deceased can be then collected from our premises or delivered to your Funeral Home)

Fully Equipped Fleet of Private Ambulances Woodstock Ind. Est. Athy, Co. Kildare

086 0619500 059 8631541 085 7671582 www.mortuary-science.ie

GerryWreath McDermott Manufacturer Circular Road, Roscommon

Mob: 086 2544126 or Mob: 086 8205215

FuneralTimes | 61

Muldowney Memorials is the best advocate you and your families need today.

Someone who is there to help your families see the passionate and knowledgeable supporter you really are. We will encourage and guide you in updating and renewing your expertise and outsource services where needed to completely pay homage to a life lost that will engage all ﬁve of the human senses. You need to get all of those precious details right the ﬁrst and only time for your families. You are a part of a community who cares for their community’s loved ones when they pass, you know your family's best and we can help you to bring them the very best.

Services include: Memorial Planning Memorial staff education and training Celebrant officiation Celebrant education and training Staff sales training on value-added offerings Modernization consultancy Rebranding consultancy Service/product brand ambassadorship PR & marketing - digitally and beyond B2C communication strategy

www.muldowneymemorials.com

Jennifer Muldowney is an event planner for memorials in the United States of America and Ireland and is currently partnered with the prestigious Frank E. Campbell - The Funeral Chapel in NYC as their in-house event planner. Jennifer is also notable as author of Say Farewell Your Way, Tedx speaker of ‘Grief as Unique as your Heartbeat’ and host of ‘The Glam Reaper Podcast’. Check out Muldowney Memorials (.com) to learn more.

By Jennifer Muldowney

Times they are a-changin’ Have you ever released butterflies at a funeral service? We released a grouping of butterflies to signify our loss to the community at large in New York recently. We have all lost alot in this last year. When you think about butterflies what do you think? • Some will say beauty • some will see fear (like me with a spider!) • some will think of nature • some happiness • some sadness • some of spirits Like our opinion on the butterfly, we all have a different perspective on life, on loss, on love, on grief and on the spiritual world. There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it’s going to be a butterfly. But a transition takes place. Change. We don’t always like change. But change happens and it changes us irrevocably. There is nothing we can do about change. It happens with or without our say in the matter. Doubt me? Ask any elderly person you know.

As Bob Dylan said There is nothing so stable as change. His infamous song says : As the present now Will later be past The order is rapidly fadin’ And the first one now will later be last For the times they are a-changin’. Butterflies are typically known to signify transition, creativity, freedom, love, renewal. Just when the caterpillar thought her world was over, she became a butterfly. Life is all about perspective and it’s all about change and growth. What change can you embrace in your funeral home that can breathe life and growth into your community’s way of dealing with loss?

Jasper cycles from Tipperary to Croke Park in search of the truth V

incent Jasper Murphy is a publican, restaurateur and undertaker in Fethard, Co Tipperary. He is also the producer of the Documentary On One on RTÉ Radio 1, 100 Years, 100 Miles, which tells the story of a photograph, a bicycle and the events of Bloody Sunday. His story started with a picture taken in the early 1900’s, of his grand-uncle Gus McCarthy on a racing bike. The family knew Gus as a very successful footballer, but not as a cyclist. Gus had played football for Tipperary and was on the team that played Dublin on November 21st, 1920, when the British forces opened fire in Croke Park, killing 14 people, in a revenge shooting after Michael Collins’s men assassinated British agents only a few hours before. That day became known as Bloody Sunday. Not long after he saw the picture, he was in the Highnelly Bike shop near Pallasgreen in Co Limerick. Marty, the owner, had a collection of restored vintage bikes. When he showed him the picture of Gus, he said that the bike was a Hercules. And he had one, in poor condition, but it could be saved. Jasper decided there and then that he was going to cycle the Hercules to Croke Park in memory of Gus in the anniversary year of Bloody Sunday. And so the restoration began. Eight months later, he had a cyclable bike. Around the time that he got the bike back, he attended a Documentary On One seminar in the RTÉ Radio centre in Dublin. Afterward, he signed up for their course and began a journey in to the

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Jasper on the road to Dublin via the Grand Canal world of documentary making. When he sent a proposal a few months later, The Doc On One team liked the idea of the cycle as a way to tell the story and agreed to work with him on what would become his first radio documentary. He started to train on the bike and research everything he could find out about Gus and Bloody Sunday. He found pictures, stories, documents, medals and most of all, the truth. One of the most important things that he discovered was that stories change with time and telling. Some of the stories that he had heard were true, some had an element of truth and some were just incorrect. So he began investigating the stories. He brought his recorder everywhere, just in case there was anything that might be beneficial to the documentary. And he made some more discoveries. The Tipperary jersey in the Museum in Clonmel has always been known as the one worn by Michael Hogan when he was shot and killed on Bloody Sunday. It was sent for restoration, but while the restoration was being carried out, it was forensically examined. They found no trace of gunpowder, bullet holes or blood. It was his jersey, but not the one he wore on Bloody Sunday. Also, many believe that an armoured car on the pitch opened fire on the players and crowd on Bloody

Jasper’s Grand Uncle Gus McCarthy Sunday, but this is untrue. That scene was in the film Michael Collins, but it is complete fiction. He pulled a group together to join him on the cycle, but in March, a world-wide Pandemic closed down the country and they were all confined within a two-kilometer radius of their houses. They couldn’t meet to train, let alone travel to Croke Park. But when the restrictions were eased they took the opportunity and travelled at the end of July. They had the day picked, and despite the horrific weather forecast, they went. After a wet start, the conditions changed. The rain stopped, and the wind turned, pushing them towards Dublin. Even though Jasper had only one gear on the 115-year-old bike, they made good

time. The first stop was in Durrow where they ate, had a coffee and got to use the toilets in the very accommodating Castle Arms. (Belonging to another Undertaking family, Murphy’s of Durrow). After seven hours of cycling they reached Heuston Station in Dublin, where the Tipperary team had arrived 100 years earlier. The following day they arrived at Croke Park. You can listen to the full story on the RTE Documentary On One Website (“100 years 100 miles)” or wherever you listen to podcasts. Since the broadcast, the Documentary has made the final of the New York Festivals Radio Documentary Awards (the Oscars of the Documentary World). The winners will be announced in September. FuneralTimes | 65

Tree of Memories helps Children’s Hospice A wonderful partnership helping children and the planet when it is needed most

auraLynn (Ireland’s only Children’s Hospice) and IrishUrns.com and IrishTrees. ie have partnered to offer a ‘Tree of Memories’ with an embedded €40 donation to this wonderful charity. Planting a native Irish tree in memory of someone is a beautiful gesture and cathartic act. It enables us to express our grief and offer comfort in a profound and moving way that goes beyond mere words. This collaboration with LauraLynn means that your loved one can continue to have a deeply positive impact on the lives of many, even after they are gone. When you plant a tree in memory, you can also make a donation to this worthy cause in the name of your lost loved one. Healing the heart and the planet.

LauraLynn – Ireland’s Only Children’s Hospice LauraLynn is Ireland’s only children’s hospice. They provide specialised care and supports to children with life-limiting conditions and their families. Their aim is to make the most of short and precious lives and all of their extraordinary work is underpinned by their core values of Compassion, Collaboration and Excellence. They help to make every day memorable, fun and enjoyable for those in their care and organise special events which give families the opportunity to spend quality time together in a stress-free environment specifically tailored for them. They also provide various forms of support to the family of the child and offer a respite from the responsibility of caring for an ill child. 66 | FuneralTimes

‘’LauraLynn are honoured to partner with Irish Urn’s Memorial Tree initiative this year. Planting a tree in memory of a loved one is a very compassionate act that lasts a lifetime, and we are so grateful that this kind act will also support the work that we do here in Ireland’s only children’s hospice. Creating lasting memories and moments is a huge part of what we do in LauraLynn, making this a lovely way for people to support the specialized care and support which we provide to children with life-limiting conditions and their families across Ireland.’’ Kerry McLaverty CEO, LauraLynn

How to Order a Tree of Memories and Make a Donation A ‘Tree of Memories’ can be ordered on either one of our websites, www.irishurns.com and www.irishtrees.ie. You can choose your tree from a range of eight native Irish trees. The tree will then be planted on 10 acres of beautiful lakeside woodland located in North County Dublin, near the small village of Naul. The tree will slowly grow forever in this tranquil setting, surrounded by thousands of bulbs and millions of wildflowers. A personalised official Planting Certificate (customised at checkout) is both emailed to you and physically posted to your chosen delivery address. Your donation to LauraLynn is included in the price of the tree and specified at checkout. This donation will be acknowledged on the Planting Certificate, but not the exact amount. Once the tree has been planted, it will be expertly tended to by our caretakers so it grows to be strong, healthy and long-lasting. Irish Trees was founded by native Dublin man, Bob Hamilton. The first business Bob founded was Irish Urns, which offered handcrafted, Celtic-inspired cremation urns to people of Irish heritage all across the world. Bob heard from many of his customers in the US that they had either planted a memorial tree in honour of their lost loved one or planned to in the future. With this in mind, Bob set about finding the best possible location to plant trees in memory of those who have passed. He soon found ten acres of lush lakeside woodland, vibrant, untouched and teeming with unbridled nature. Located in the very heart of Ireland in north Co. Dublin (close to the little village of Naul), Bob knew this serene and stunning stretch of land, nestled by a glistening lake, was the perfect place. Such a profound, meaningful tribute in such a tranquil, beautiful environment would help people let go of some of the pain and sorrow that comes with losing a loved one. And just like that, Irish Trees was born. That same land is now a flourishing lakeside wood, with over 2000 native Irish trees planted and 1.5 million wildflowers thriving and blossoming. It is also rich with an abundance of wildlife, from birds, bees and butterflies drifting in the air to swans, ducks and herons gliding on the lake.

“There is no better tribute to a life than a charitable contribution made to a remarkable organisation. Your Memorial Tree can be both an act of lasting remembrance as well as an act of compassion and generosity.” Bob Hamilton CEO – Irish Urns and Irish trees The knowledge that a tree has been planted in the gorgeous Irish countryside in the name of their loved one has brought solace and peace to so many grieving individuals.

Next Steps If you have any questions or wish to speak to someone directly about this service, please email us at bob@irishurns.ie or call 00 353 (0)86 255 8531. You can also visit either our Irish Urns and Memorial Trees website, www.irishurns.com, or our Irish Trees website, www.irishtrees.ie.

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erard Duffy of Duffy Coachbodies is pictured outside Fanagans Rathfarnham Funeral Home delivering another new Duffy/Mercedes E-Class Hearse to Mr. Bryan Murphy, Operations Director, Fanagans Funeral Directors, Dublin. Fanagan Funeral Directors have been exclusively using Duffy/Mercedes Hearses and Limousines for over 60 years continually updating their extensive fleet of funeral vehicles on a sixmonthly basis. Duffy Coachbodies would like to thank Fanagans for their support over the years and wish them continued success.

r. Michael Gormley of J.A. Gormley Funeral Directors, Maghera, is pictured collecting his new Duffy/ Mercedes Hearse from Gerard Duffy at the Duffy Coachbodies factory in Dundalk. J.A. Gormley previously used a hearse based on the Jaguar XJ but opted for the current Duffy Mercedes Hearse. Having looked at all hearses on the market they chose the Duffy/Mercedes Hearse with Glass Roof because of its Presence, Style, Design and Build Quality. Duffy Coachbodies would like to thank J.A. Gormley for choosing them and wish them every success in the future. 68 | FuneralTimes

ictured are Ned Sweeney and his daughter Niamh from John Sweeney and Sons, Arklow, collecting a new Duffy/Mercedes E-Class Hearse from Gerard Duffy at the Duffy Coachbodies factory in Dundalk. John Sweeney and Sons first purchase from Duffy Coachbodies was a Ford Limousine in 1978 and they have purchased only Duffy funeral vehicles ever since. The new hearse painted in Solid Black with Black Leather Trim is built to the highest specification to include a Panoramic Glass Roof, Chrome Package and Exclusive Line Front. Ned commented that Duffy Coachbodies continue to lead the way in terms of Design, Build Quality and standard of finish and that the new hearse will complement the recent extensive refurbishment of their funeral home. Duffy Coachbodies would like to thank both Ned and Niamh for their continued support and wish them every success in the future.

ur photo shows Mr. John Gamble of John Gamble Funeral Directors, Dromore, taking delivery of a new Duffy/Mercedes Hearse from Gerard Duffy outside his funeral home on Meeting Street, Dromore, Co Down.John opted for the latest grey deck laminate, the exclusive line (S-Class style front) and a panoramic glass roof to improve the display of the coffin and floral tributes. Duffy Coachbodies would like to wish John every success with his new hearse. FuneralTimes | 69

That “Better Place” By Dr Bill Webster

am given opportunity to conduct funeral services on occasion, often when someone wants a “Scottish celebrant” to honor their cultural traditions or heritage; or when someone requests a “non-religious” service. But what do people mean by a “non-religious service” these days? Personally, I feel it is my privilege to serve any family who has experienced the loss of a loved one. When I discuss the service with them, I usually begin by expressing condolences, assuring them that the details of the service are “their agenda, not mine”, which puts people at ease. Then we discuss the elements of the service. “I understand that your family is not religious,” I begin, “but would you like me to offer a prayer of thanksgiving for their life, and a prayer of comfort for the family?” On most occasions, the response is positive with people adding the explanation, “Oh we don’t attend Church, and we are not religious, but “I believe my loved one is in a better place.” I often wonder, (to myself of course), what or where is “that better place”? Nonetheless, with their own input to different components of the service, the family often leaves with the words, “this is exactly what we wanted.” When a minister or celebrant builds the service round the family’s choices, rather than their own agenda, there is usually a positive outcome. Now, there have been occasions when I have been asked to conduct a humanist service with absolutely no mention of God or an afterlife. As person of faith myself, I find this more challenging, but I remind myself that I am there to be of service to this family and to comfort

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them in a way that is meaningful for them. The funeral must be “their agenda” not mine. It is my belief that we must embrace and respect the dignity of others even though we may not always agree on certain principles, points or practices. Every one of us has a belief system… about ourselves, about other people, about the world, about life and about death. For many their belief system includes an idea about what we think or hope will happen after death. While many today do not think of themselves as “religious” per se, they do want to acknowledge a spiritual element to their lives. Spirituality, however we define it in our personal lives, is a bridge between human feelings of helplessness and powerlessness, reaching beyond ourselves to find a renewed sense of meaning, purpose and hope. Some define it as God, others a “higher power” and many in the query, “Is this all there is?” We would all like to believe that life is going to work out in a way that makes sense. But when life’s circumstances don’t seem to be meaningful, our belief system can be shaken and challenged. There are many times and situations in our lives when we realize we have to reach beyond ourselves to find truth and meaning … times when we say, “There must be more to it.” Elisabeth Kubler-Ross makes this significant observation: “In terms of the unconscious, we cannot conceive of our own death, to imagine an actual ending of our own life here on Earth. And if this life of ours has to end, the ending is always attributed to some malicious intervention from the outside, by someone or something else.

This is very important to understand. If I have to die, I can only conceive of it as being killed, a destructive catastrophic death that hits me from the “outside” when I am not prepared.” Because we find it difficult to think of a world or situation in which we no longer exist, many, in their own belief system, hold on to the hope that we will continue to live after death in heaven or some other “better place” in which we will perpetuate and prolong our existence. The Book of Ecclesiastes states that “there is a time to be born, and a time to die.” But right after that famous passage there is a verse that says that God has “set eternity in the human heart.” There seems to exist an awareness in every human soul that there must be “something more” than this fleeting, transient world, whether we believe in “God” or whether we believe something else.

Some might cynically call that “denial of reality”, but remember denial is a coping mechanism that helps us to accept the unacceptable. Death after all will be the final test of anyone’s beliefs and practices. When any loved one dies, we do not want to accept the termination of their life. The awareness of “eternity” gives us a hope that there is something more to life than what we can see and experience in the here and now. It gives a glimpse of stability that through all the ups and downs of life, in our awareness of the brevity of life and our fear of it ending, a belief that a part of us lives forever. We need to support people in whatever brings them comfort and hope. And maybe, that’s where for many these days, that “better place” fits in.

Comprehensive Grief Support Resources

The Centre for the

Grief Journey After Dr. Bill Webster lost his son 2 years ago, he recommitted himself to assisting those suffering the loss of a loved one. His newly designed website contains a wealth of timely articles, numerous videos , live online sessions and ongoing support programs to help people in your care and community navigate the grief journey. Visit www.griefjourney.com to start your journey.

FuneralTimes | 71

Coffin Mixtures By Mattie Lennon Am I right about this? When growing up in Catholic rural Ireland would one merit a Plenary Indulgence by procuring one’s coffin before death? Or did this apply to the purchase of the brown habit pre-mortem? Or am I imagining the whole thing? What put that into my head? Oh yes. When Covid restrictions were lifted I visited the Men’s Shed in Blessington. Woodworking tools dating from the early eighteen hundreds to the present day and wooden ashtrays, lamp bases and wood carvings of various shapes and sizes confronted me. Testimony to the talent and skills of the members. Personally I can’t even saw straight. If I attempted to hammer a nail into scaffolding plank there is a good chance that I‘d split it. (The plank, not the nail.) So, you can imagine the reaction of the assembled craftsmen when I asked, “Why don’t you make coffins.” They didn’t say that I was stone mad. Well... not in so many words. But it was pointed out to me that coffin-making was a closed shop. My lack of manual skills is compensated for, somewhat, by my dubious talent for sourcing information. So, I managed to track down a septuagenarian former palliative worker, Katie A Tardis Coffin

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Eileen and Dot Williams, in Rotorua, New Zealand, who, in 2010, decided to make her own coffin. She called a meeting with some of her old friends who had useful skills. Some males raised their eyebrows but did attend the next meeting and the Coffin Club was formed. Katie researched the legalities of the project, tools were discussed, templates were made and plans for construction of coffins were secured. Away they went. Each member enthusiastically embraced the new pastime and set out to make his or her own coffin. Membership is made up of mainly people over 65. Disabled people also help. For instance there was the blind man who wanted to undercoat coffins. He was set up and guided by a volunteer. His Black Lab Help Dog was in great danger of changing into a Dalmatian. Usually the coffins are decorated to reflect the lifestyles of the occupants. Raewynne Latemore’s casket is a shrine to Elvis. And there was the man who planned to take his wallet with him. He attached the back pocket of his jeans to the end of his coffin with the sign, “Who says you can’t take it with you.” Some people might be reluctant to make their own coffin but there is no record of even one death being caused by the exercise. One

A lovely floral Coffin female member who made three coffins for herself when asked why? replied, “Because I keep putting on weight.” Katie Williams gave me precision yet easily followed drawings for coffin manufacture. Those graphics were accompanied by a sheaf of instructions which included terms like Kerfing, toe-corner, overhand and end-ribs. On

29th April 2013, the following was signed into law, “Uncoffined burials may be permitted, unless a direction has been issued not to do so by the relevant sanitary authority or medical officer.” However, most Irish people prefer not to make or break a tradition. So, armed with the aforementioned plans and instructions back I’ll go to the Men’s Shed in Blessington.

FuneralTimes | 73

Jeff Gascoigne and Mum, Hazel, standing alongside their new Volvo fleet supplied by Wilcox Limousines Ltd

New Volvo fleet for A. J. Gascoigne & Son Funeral Directors A J Gascoigne & Son Funeral Directors was formed in 1986 by Alan and Hazel Gascoigne. Alan retired in 2013. Sadly, he has since passed away. It is now in its second generation with Jeff at the helm. A professional Independent Family business, they are members of BIE, BIFD, NAFD and SAIF. Quite unique to the funeral industry, the business also has its own privately owned cemetery. Jeff has been really pleased with his previous Volvo fleet and had not hesitation 74 | FuneralTimes

in ordering the latest Volvo S90 hearse and limousine. He opted for the 2.0 diesel engine with a bespoke 3 bearer deck format. The high specification on the vehicles includes leather interior, active cruise control, climate control, satellite navigation, DAB stereo and alloy wheels. The limousine also included a removable vehicle hygiene screen. Wilcox Limousines Ltd would like to thank Jeff for his continued custom and wishes him every success with his new fleet.

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The 1957 Alumnus By Jack Adams, CFSP, MBIE Jack is Dodge’s busiest embalming educator and lecturer. Along with working for Dodge as a sales representative in northern Illinois, he is an Embalming Lab Instructor at Worsham College.

ollege basketball gets very exciting at the end of the season when the tournaments are in full swing. Fans vary from enthusiastic sports lovers to loyal Monday morning quarterback types that know all the names of the players, their shooting percentages, and defensive performances during their careers. A funeral director and friend of mine gave me a call regarding a case he had pending, with a prominent family and well-known individual in the community. He was also a good friend of the son of the dying man and knew the whole family. Their father, who in 1957 was a star college basketball player, stood 6 feet 8 inches tall, and weighed 240 pounds, was dying. The family members were in agreement that there would be a closed casket because of the disfiguring effects of a cancer their father had been fighting for six months. It was an aggressive form of cancer that caused a severe weight loss and an appearance that was not recognizable. The funeral director wanted to touch base to see if I might be able to help when the death occurred because of his own belief in doing the best he could, just in case they changed their mind and someone wanted to say goodbye. I told him that if I was in town, I would try to do what I could to help. About three weeks after that I received the call that the gentleman had died. This father and grandfather weighed about 260 pounds during his healthy elderly years and now weighed about 155 pounds. His face was what we might describe as skin and bones. The family said when he was young he had caught professional scouts’ attention but knee injuries kept him from any professional basketball opportunities. 76 | FuneralTimes

I talked to the embalmer who was not familiar with bulking facial tissue for emaciated remains. She described the distorted physical appearance of this one-time large, healthy man. I asked her to use some cotton covered with Kalip Stay Cream and place it under the upper eyelids to form a normal eyeball contour. This immediately forms a more normal roundness to the top lid that prevents dehydration and is a foundation for eye treatment that allows for better final results. She said the eyes were sunk close to 1 and 3/4 inches. Over the years, I’ve had consistently positive building up or bulking up tissue on emaciated cases, especially on the extreme cases. I asked her to use a restricted cervical injection for the best control for injecting the head and distorted face. I shared a restoration recipe guideline for building bulk on the extreme emaciated case. This head mix consisted of: • 8 oz. Chromatech Tan • 24 oz. Proflow • 8 oz. Rectifiant • 24 oz. Restorative • 8 oz. tepid water This solution makes approximately a half gallon. She injected about a quart to each side of the head, making sure it was enough to plump but also preserve. An initial pulsating injection using a three to five ounce rate of flow and 20 pounds of pressure is a safe way to begin. It’s best to start with a low flow to prevent any abnormal swelling such as an acute eye distension. Once you reach 10 or 15 pulsations you have reached a safe zone. Now, begin to raise the rate of flow slightly and see if it can eventually take eight to twelve ounces of flow. I always like to do the left

side first (practice side) when using restricted cervical. If any swelling occurs, it is always because of using too high a flow or injecting too much volume too quickly. It turned out that I couldn’t make it to the funeral home for a few days. The visitation was scheduled for the following day, closed casket or not. The funeral director called the daughter and asked for other photos and explained that I had requested more photos to help us do our best. She began to get hopeful for viewing and brought in several good pictures, full of great character lines and identity markings. Photos like these let you quickly know how far away from recognizable you are. My feelings upon first view of the remains were mixed. There was good bulking but weaker results with features and mouth closure. However, the bulking was the key to this restoration and the mouth was easy to adjust and to give a pleasant expression. Even though the facial tissue was bulked up and no longer had the skin and bone appearance, the eyes were still sunken. But the upper lids were filled by the injection and restored to a natural shape with the use of the cotton. This stretched upper lid would make it possible to eventually create a natural eyelid closure of 2/3 upper lid, 1/3 lower lid. The eyes hadn’t been closed for several months which was obvious to see by the unnatural appearance of the eyeball. It was easy to see why the family at first didn’t want to have the viewing. The mouth had an appearance of someone who might have had a stroke with one side lower and wider than the other side. The corners were also open and drying on the lower

side. I placed some Restorative packs on the inner canthi of the eyes and some on the lips to condition the drying tissue while filling a 30cc syringe with Regular Feature Builder. I removed the mouth former, which was a big part of the mouth distortion, and disinfected the mouth. We were short of a few supplies but colleagues from the next town over shared some of theirs with us. I thought this was special, funeral homes working together instead of becoming enemies or back stabbers. They realized they were in the business to do their best for their clients and sometimes they helped each other to make that possible. While I was waiting for the needed supplies from our friendly neighbours, I worked on separating the connective tissue beneath the eyelids. I like to use a cotton swab saturated with Dryene II (no Phenol) to quickly cauterize this delicate tissue to insure against any leakage. This material is so effective, it only takes a few minutes to dry. You should always put some Kalon Massage Cream on the face to protect the skin and prevent bleaching. One can fill the emaciated area below the orbit of the eyes and cheekbones, as well as bring up the eye using Inr-Seel or cotton covered with Kalip Stay Cream. This eye treatment can restore swollen eyes, sunken eyes, or distortions caused by disease or trauma. (Refer to my article, “The Eyes Have It!” which ran in the winter 2009 issue of the Dodge Magazine.) I placed ribbons of Inr-Seel over the teeth that were still present. Of course, I put an extra amount under the mouth corners and sulci, as well as the space below the now slightly formed, bulked up folds. I put a small amount

under any area where the photo showed identity lines such as the philtrum. Using gentle but firm pressure, we formed the nasolabial folds with an aneurysm hook. Once the folds were formed to match the photo, the corners of the mouth were gently pushed upward to give a pleasant appearance and to remove the stroke-like expression. No matter what the condition of an embalmed body, a well-formed mouth can allow the family to view a peaceful, pleasant expression that is easy to look at. Now the mouth was beginning to resemble what was in the photo. At this point, the face had some bulk and the mouth was formed, but the protruding bones still needed to be camouflaged by using Feature Builder to take this abnormal protrusion away. This is when communication and good photos can make a big difference. The daughter wanted a viewing but didn’t think it was possible. The bulking allowed us a chance to bring back his actual, recognizable appearance in the photos, including the identity lines and markings. This is all but impossible using just Feature Builder on “skin and bone” faces. Adding Feature Builder into bulked up tissue that already has foundational lines and markings allow us to naturally restore emaciated facial features. This is the only way to really restore, rather than just improve, the skeletal face. Feature Builder on an embalmed “skin and bone” looking face will inflate the skin and act like a balloon, expanding the face, but losing all natural lines and markings. I like to use hidden entry points such as the inner nostrils, the sideburns, hairlines, and eyebrows for the hypodermic 18 gauge 6-inchlong needle. This may seem like a long needle to some but it allows the embalmer to reach further into tissue using far fewer entry sites. It also delivers more Feature Builder faster to save valuable time on difficult cases. It is not a short cut, just good time management. You can use a 19 gauge 3-inchlong needle when the lower emaciated point is closer to the hairline or on the chin. After the important nasolabials were formed and the levels of the cheeks restored, I made sure the fold was rounded and formed, trying to duplicate the identifying facial marks in the

photo. I used the nose for needle entries to reach the cheeks. Always cover the fold with an aneurysm hook to insure no Feature Builder infiltrates this important fold. It also helps form the natural, rounded uplift and contour. While touching up the face and digitally smoothing the Feature Builder, I found sporadic soft tissue. The tip of the nose and chin area were a bit too soft compared to the majority of the moderately firm facial tissue. Using a diabetic needle, I hypoed Firming Feature Builder with an eye dropper of dye mixed in. The diabetic needle is very accurate and valuable for touching up lips and facial tissue. The needle is so small it won’t dry out those tissues. This will prevent a bleached appearance and is desirable when using transparent cosmetics. I hypodermically injected the nose using the 19 gauge needle, being careful to place the needle into the nostril and just on top of the nose between the bone and skin, pushing gently toward the centre of the eyes. The nose didn’t need much treatment. Let the photos guide your artistry and stop when restored. Remember the family wanted a home run or nothing. This was the challenge. We were not going for an improvement in his appearance, we were trying to achieve the good, healthy, pleasant image in the photo. I was beginning to see the light at the end of this tunnel. We injected the lips as well as the chin with Firming Feature Builder because the tissue needed to be better preserved. There were tell-tale marks on the lips where medical tubing had been used for feeding. This had also damaged some tissue that did not accept an even diffusion of preservative. This is common in cases where death is caused by a debilitating disease. It is a good idea to use Webril saturated with Penetrating Dryene in areas like this. This will insure the lower part of the face is well embalmed so the lips, chin, and mouth don’t turn grey and remain soft or unembalmed because of haemorrhages or damage to tissue. This loved father was now much like the man in the photo. Some final touches were necessary on facial lines and sulci below the corners of the mouth. These fine lines are common with

the elderly and without restoring all these contours and lines there is always something missing. An embalmer can reinstate all these lines using a diabetic needle, an aneurysm hook, and using digital pressure. After pressing the hook to the adjacent raised tissue for a minute or so, these lines and contours return. Once formed, you can return an hour or two later and reinforce these lines. Pretty soon they are back to stay. We felt good about the lines and the mouth was his for sure. This pleasant focal point is the key to all viewings. I received a message the day after the funeral to call my friend. He told me that all went well and that the entire family was pleased and were unanimous about leaving the casket open for the two days of services. At the funeral, one son made an announcement thanking the funeral director and his wife for making it possible that their family could have an open casket viewing and a traditional service. I’ve heard thank you and high praises but I have never heard a thank you specifically for the value of the

open casket. They also said that some of their father’s last words were to pray for his team in the tournament. They asked all present to remember his team in their prayers. It turned out to be even better than the home run they were hoping for. It was a Grand Slam home run. I was proud of my friend and his wife and honoured to be asked to be a part of this good team. 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: Shepherds Funeral Supplies, Unit 2A Royal Canal Business Park, Athlone Road, Co. Longford. Ph. 00353 43 3349702/00353 87 2486668

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80 | FuneralTimes

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For Sale JAGUAR V8 HEARSE AND MATCHING V8 LIMO

For an appointment to view, please contact Bill on 07720 262530 - £POA

Ready for work and no repairs or preparation required. Both vehicles MOT and well serviced at all times. Hearse having only 65,000 mls and Limo only 28,000 mls. Limo complements the hearse in dark grey metallic with black vinyl roof. Colour scheme of Limo allows it to be suitable for wedding hire. Both vehicles must be seen to appreciate how good and presentable they are, viewing a must. Reliable fleet at low cost. FuneralTimes | 81

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82 | FuneralTimes

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Head of Aftercare Geraint Rogers

Funeral Times issue 4 2021

Articles inside

Jack Adams looks back at the 1957 Alumnus

Coffin Mixtures by Mattie Lennon

Jasper cycles in search of the truth

Dr Bill Webster on that ‘Better Place’

Tree of Memories helps Children’s Hospice

Jennifer Muldowney quotes Bob Dylan

SAIF News

New funeral home for Hogan’s

CMA require price lists to be displayed

NAFD News

IAFD News

Eimer Duffy answers your questions

Going the extra mile with Padraic Cawley

BIE News

Funeral Partners champion mental health

Tallon Mortuary Specialists class of 2020