Congratulations and the best of luck to the officers of the Professional Embalmers’ Association of Ireland Joe McNamara, Chairperson (MPEAI, MEAE, MIAFD) Joe is the director of Corrigan and Sons Funeral Directors, Dublin; born into the undertaking business, the fourth generation to run the company. Joe is a part of an unbroken line of family involvement in a company set up by Patrick Corrigan in the latter part of the nineteenth century. He works with three medical schools (UCD, TCD and the Royal College of Surgeons) in Dublin and takes care of the burials or cremations of those who have donated their bodies to medical research. He gained his Degree in Business in University College Dublin and trained in embalming at the Midlands Embalming School, Birmingham. He also earned his Diploma in Funeral Directing in Coventry. Martina Burns, Vice Chairperson (MPEAI, MEAE, MDCA) Martina went to Dundalk Institute of Technology (DIT) for two years and did a course in Business studies. In 2002, she enrolled with The Irish College of Funeral Directing and Embalming in Ballina, Co. Mayo where she received mentorship from Peter J. Ball. While studying, she was offered the opportunity to join the team of embalmers in McGowan’s Funeral Home in Ballina, Co. Mayo and gained her embalming qualification through the European and International Examinations Board of Mortuary Science in 2006. Martina served as the Secretary of PEAI from 2009 until 2015. Michael Clarke, Secretary MPEAI Michael is an embalmer, funeral director and proud culchie from the wilds of county Mayo. He was introduced to the funeral profession in his early teens, receiving his training from McGowan’s Funeral Home, Co. Mayo, and Val O’Connor’s North Gate Bridge, Co Cork. He has a keen interest in funeral
education and holds the position of academic administrator of the Death Care Academy. He is also the coordinator of the embalming course and a manual handling instructor within the DCA. Michael is passionate about death care and believes that modern embalming is central to helping families during the grieving process. Michael continues his work as funeral director and embalmer at Foley and McGowan’s Funeral Directors, Co Sligo. Padraig O’Reilly, Treasurer MPEA, MEAE Having first worked in funeral services from the late 1970’s Padraig joined the health service as Supports Services Manager with responsibility to include mortuary services and family bereavements. While in this role he was part of a working group on Death Dying and Bereavement and they received an award from the Irish Hospice Foundation for the improvement of standards for the dying and their families. He joined Finnegan’s Funeral Services in 2009 and prides himself on the standard of service and support he gives to families at a time that can be of great upset and stress for them. David McGowan, PRO MPEAI David began a career within the funeral industry in the early 1980’s. In 1985 he qualified as an Embalmer through the British Institute of Embalmers, after which he continued his studies at Worsham College of Mortuary Science in Chicago. His interests as a professional embalmer are mainly on the advancement of skills, learning and technology that could benefit everybody involved in funeral and embalming services and above all the families whose lives are touched by the passing away of a loved-one. David is the director of the Irish College of Funeral Directing and Embalming in Ballina, serving students from all over the country. He also owns McGowan’s Funeral Home in Ballina Co. Mayo and Foley & McGowan’s Funeral Home in Sligo City. FuneralTimes | 45