FT issue 1 2018

The magazine for Funeral Directors in Ireland

2018 Vol.18 No.1

The magazine for Funeral Directors in Ireland

Margaret opens for business............................................ 4

New IAFD President........................................................ 8

Contents

Memorial Tree for Lakelands......................................... 66

Editorial and Advertising contacts: Graham Brown | Ruth McQuillan Vikki Crangle | Paula Hanna Tel: (028) 3835 5060 (048) from ROI Funeral Times is owned and published by: InHouse Publications, 1 Annagh Drive, Craigavon, Co. Armagh BT63 5WF email: sales@funeraltimes.com

New independent embalming service.............................. 4 IAFD News...................................................................... 8 Warm welcome for the new President............................. 8 Adele in tune with funeral industry............................... 18 NAFD News................................................................... 20 Social fund changes....................................................... 21 PEAI News..................................................................... 32 Padraic Cawley on writing to be heard.......................... 35 Missing for 72 hours by Jack Adams............................. 37 Humanist celebrants make their mark............................ 47 SAIF News..................................................................... 48 Dr Bill Webster on New Years Resolutions................... 52 BIE News....................................................................... 60 Mary Elizabeth finds the words..................................... 65 New web cam service for Lakelands............................. 66 Hearses, rehearsals and heavy corpses

by Mattie Lennon .......................................................... 68 Asian funerals go green................................................. 72 Classifieds...................................................................... 75

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.

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Independent embalming service opens it's doors M

argaret Davis Professional Embalming Services is a new, entirely Independent Embalming Care Service for Funeral Directors in Northern Ireland.

This seven day a week service includes all aspects of care from chemical preservation, cosmetic management, hairdressing, personal dressing and presentation in casket/coffin.

Viewing and visitation of a loved one on their passing, in general, remains an integral part of funeral practices within the province. Care, therefore, is focused on the provision of a high standard of quality embalming, combining professional knowledge and skill with trusted products in achieving the optimal embalming outcome.

Margaret is a professionally trained embalmer and is a registered member of The British Institute of Embalmers. Her fully equipped embalming suite is located within a private, discreet and secure setting close to the M1 Motorway

at Saintfield Road Exit and to the Royal Victoria Hospital Mortuaries. This service will be particularly convenient for those Funeral Directors who may have to travel a distance and a complementary removal service will be provided from the Royal Victoria Hospital, if required.

In addition to her standard practice, Margaret is presently one of a few select embalmers who offer a specialist service, providing appropriate assessment, intervention and care of the deceased with more extensive needs and those presenting in more complex situations resulting in facial disfigurement.

Margaret is pleased to offer this specialist service to Funeral Directors, in serving the needs of a family, who desire to view their loved one (if assessed as a possibility) in tragic or other difficult circumstances.

As a strong ambassador for the powerful and positive values associated with viewing and visitation of a loved one, and as a widely practised and experienced embalmer, Margaret describes quality embalming care as fundamental in providing families with a more positive experience, in assisting them to face the reality of their loss and present a more pleasant and comforting final memory in saying goodbye.

Margaret is witness and testimony to the opportunity this creates

in building a family's trust with their Funeral Director, offering assurance to the fact their loved one has received the dignity, care and respect they deserve and resulting in a families confidence to return to the Funeral Director without hesitation in the future.

Should you be interested in finding out more about this service please do not hesitate to

contact Margaret Davis on T: 07841 100249, email: Margaretdavis4@icloud.com or 4 Back Road, Cargycreevy, Lisburn BT27 6TR.

FuneralTimes | 5

Your alternative business vehicle finance provider B raemar Finance provides bespoke funeral finance for both independent funeral directors as well as corporate businesses, ranging from equipment (storage racks, refrigerated units) to IT hardware and software, as well as business, tax and VAT loans.

But did you know we also specialise in vehicle finance? With many years of experience in all aspects of new and used vehicle finance we can offer tailor-made solutions which will take your circumstances into consideration.

“We can help you upgrade your existing vehicle, buy an additional car or a fleet for your business and we can provide a finance package, incorporating balloon payments or refinancing, whatever your circumstances require,” explained Aileen Boyle, Managing Director of Braemar Finance.

What are ‘balloon payments’?

In essence, it’s a lump sum owed to the finance company at the end of the agreement term after all the regular monthly repayments have been made. The balloon payment allows a business to repay only part of the financed amount, reducing their monthly repayments. This optional condition of a finance agreement can be represented as an amount or a percentage of the borrowed amount.

The benefit is reduced regular payments over the term of the agreement, and it may also increase the affordability and the loan size, thereby assisting with the management of your cash flow and the vehicle or fleet you want to acquire.

What happens at the end of the term?

There are a couple of options available when the balloon payment is due to be repaid. If you aim to keep the vehicle or fleet, the full amount can be paid to end the agreement. The funds for this can be from business or personal reserves, a personal loan or refinanced (subject to status).

If the intention is to change vehicles, they can be sold and the money used to clear the

6 | FuneralTimes

balloon payment or the balloon payment can be structured into a trade-in scenario, simplifying the finance process.

Finance with balloon payment options are available on all new and used vehicles (conditions apply) and available up to a 60 month term. Balloon values are set at fair market values and normally only require a single payment up front, which could free up some part exchange income.

Vehicle finance can be used for: • Purchase of a first call vehicle • A funeral fleet of limousines and hearses • Releasing equity from your existing fleet • Buying a second car • Change of existing vehicle Refinancing But what if you already own a fleet and don’t need to finance a vehicle, but instead want to release equity to help with cash flow?

“We can release the equity from your existing fleet through refinancing,” said Aileen. “It’s a popular and a quick way to access the value of assets on your existing balance sheet and reinvest that value elsewhere within your business.”

There are multiple benefits to refinancing, including: • Efficiency - uninterrupted use of the vehicle(s) • Spread the cost further - we can take over the finance agreement you have with another provider and extend the term • Choice - give your business a cash injection or use the money to buy other assets that may not be accessible through hire purchase or leasing agreements Regardless of the type of finance you need, experienced funding specialists are here to help.

Contact Braemar Finance to find out more: Republic or Ireland: 086 772 7552 / Email info@braemarfinance.ie Northern Ireland: 01563 852100 / Email info@braemarfinance.co.uk

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TO FIND OUT MORE CALL: Joe Biesty - Republic of Ireland:

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Gail Cormack - Northern Ireland

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IAFD News A warm welcome for IAFD Annual General the new president Meeting (AGM)

W

e had a very successful Annual General Meeting when all the Motions proposed by the Board were adopted without amendment. The Minutes of the meeting are currently available in the Members Only Section of the Website.

At the AGM, Donal Forde, Cork, Tom Lawless, Tullamore and Martin Thompson, Athy were appointed to the Board.

Education

The New Year IAFD calendar commences with a warm welcome to the new President, Mary Cunniffe, who was presented with the chain of office by the outgoing President, John Foley at the Annual General Meeting held in Clontarf Castle on the 11th November 2017.

The New Education Programme, Funeral Directing Certificate Award, has now commenced with twenty-six candidates registered. Twenty attended on Day 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 16th November 2017. It was a great start to the programme with a good mix of candidates from small to large firms participating. The President, Mary Cunniffe was present and welcomed everyone. All candidates have gone to work on their first assignment!

Board Co-Option The Board wishes to announce that at its meeting in December a decision was made to strengthen its membership by co-opting Dara Gillespie, Finlays Funeral Service. Dara is an experienced manager and the Board are confident that her contribution will be particularly helpful as the directors face an increasingly heavy workload.

8 | FuneralTimes

Day 1 - Funeral Directing Certificate Award (FDCA)

IAFD News Website - New Members only section After the close of the Annual General Meeting, Colm Kieran, Communications Committee Chair presented the new version of the Members Only Section of the IAFD Website.

This is a considerable enhancement which contains a number of new features and is much easier to navigate. To assist members with using the new facility an explanatory leaflet entitled, ‘IAFD Member Only Website Guide’ has been produced and a copy will be circulated to all members.

IAFD Handbook

T

he IAFD Handbook is available to download in the Members Only Section of the Website. Members are encouraged to make

use of this invaluable source of information in relation to funeral service in Ireland and beyond.

New members IAFD wishes to welcome the following new members: NEW FULL MEMBERS • Wicklow Funeral Directors, James Burke • R G Adams & Son, Dromore, Co. Tyrone

Why Join the IAFD? For just a little more than €1cent a day you get: • Professional Indemnity Insurance

• Code of Practice

• Membership of professional organisation recognised by the general public

• Access to IAFD Education Programme

• Unique all island network of funeral directors • Representation of members with Government, Local Authorities and Media • Funeral Directors led organisation for promoting and developing standards of funeral service

• Excellence Programme • Board of Funeral professionals available to assist Members • Dispute Resolution and Mediation • Legal Advisory Service • Links to other trade Associations

Applications for membership of IAFD: Please visit www.iafd.ie and download an Application Form.

FuneralTimes | 9

IAFD News

Major Emergency Management Conference, Athlone – Nov 2017 I

AFD were invited by the organisers, the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, to make a presentation regarding who ‘IAFD is and what it does.’ The conference was attended by circa 240 delegates from various government departments, county councils, An Garda Síochána, representatives from the emergency services and a number of coroners etc. The President attended and was accompanied by James Brown. Both had significant opportunities to ensure all present were made aware of the existence of IAFD and our many members throughout the island.

The following is an extract we received from the Department:

‘We are very grateful to Mary and James for agreeing to speak yesterday; we will be in contact to make arrangements for them to participate in next year’s MEM Conference.

The value of having Funeral Directors involved in the Mass Fatality planning process was mentioned by a number of attendees yesterday and we will continue to link with Mary Cunniffe and John Foley regarding this.’

The Board looks forward to receiving the invitation to take part in the 2018 conference. Members will be kept informed of developments later this year.

DIARY DATES FOR 2018 22nd March 2018 Four Seasons Hotel, Monaghan (Town) • Training Workshop @ 2.30pm & Regional Meeting @ 5.30pm 19th July 2018 Hodson Bay Hotel, Athlone • Training Workshop @ 2.30pm & Regional Meeting @ 5.30pm 20th September 2018 Firgrove Hotel, Mitchelstown • Training Workshop @ 2.30pm & Regional meeting @ 5.30pm 24th November 2018 AGM & Dinner Dance - Hodson Bay Hotel, Athlone 10 | FuneralTimes

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

Robert Fanagan (Chair - Membership & Excellence Committee) Fanagans 54, Aungier Street Dublin 2 Ph: 01-4754101 Email: robert@fanagans.ie

Edwina Fitzgerald (First Vice President & Hon. Secretary) Fitzgeralds Funeral Directors Channel Road Rush Co. Dublin Ph: 0873512949 Email: edwinafitzgerald78@gmail.com

Dara Gillespie Finlay Group Tierney Street Ardee Co. Louth Mobile: 086 7923472 Email: dara.gillespie@finlaygrp.com

John Foley (Immediate Past President) Jennings Funeral Directors 81 Amien Street Dublin 1 Ph: 01-8555511

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

Martin Thompson (Hon. Treasurer) Thompson Funeral Directors Chapel Hill Mount Hawkins Athy Co. Kildare Ph: 059-8632714 Email: thompsonfuneraldirectors@gmail.com Colm Kieran (P.R.O) Kieran Bros. Funeral Directors Kingscourt, Co. Cavan Mobile: 087-6218740 Ph: 042-9667309 Email: colmkieran@gmail.com

Dermot McCarthy McCarthyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Funeral Home Gurrane Banteer Cork.

Ph: 029-56044 Email: dermot@mccarthyfuneraldirectors. com

Donal Forde (Chair - Education Committee) Forde & Sons Funeral Home South Gate Bridge Cork Co Cork Ph: 021-4318222 Email: fordes@indigo.ie FuneralTimes | 11

A new delivery from Fearghas Quinn Quinn Bros.

Co. Armagh, addDirectors, another Fearghas Hearse to their R. Gibney of Portadown, Gibneys of Oldcastle Funeral collects hisQuinn new hearse from Fearghas impressive fleetand Limousines.

Quinn Hearse

A new delivery from Fearghas Quinn R. Gibney of Gibneys of Oldcastle Funeral Directors, collects new hearsefrom from Fearghas Fearghas James Harnett, Abbeyfeale, Co. Limerick take delivery of a his new Insignia Quinn Hearse Limousines.

Quinn Hearse and & Limousines 12 | FuneralTimes

The new golden leaves Memorial Tree We recently talked at length about the stir being caused by Netherlandsbased Memorial Trees and their beautiful offerings. This issue we introduce the Golden Leaves tree.

I

n Waalhoven cemetery in Krimpen aan de Ijssel, Netherlands many graves will be cleared in the coming months. To afford surviving relatives a permanent memory and a beautiful memorial place to visit, two Memorial Trees with gold-coloured memorial leaves have been installed. A beautiful opening ceremony took place in November 2017, visit: www.memorial-trees.co.uk/projects/ waalhoven-cemetery-nl/ for more information.

The strikingly beautiful new golden leaves have been such a tremendous success we have decided to offer them as standard

for the future. Although we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make any official announcement just yet (apart from the smaller sized 120cm Tree already purchased by Lakeland Crematorium and Funeral Home in Co. Cavan) we have almost finalised agreements for our first full sized trees in Rep. of Ireland and England.

Exciting times are ahead for sure!

New ways of remembering; in these challenging times for the Funeral Industry with pressures on space in cemeteries and memorial gardens, cost effective solutions for memorialisation for both the industry

MEMORIAL TREES Timeles s steel memor ial trees

With individually engraved memorial leaves for a new way of remembrance Website: www.memorial-trees.co.uk Email: marko@memorial-trees.co.uk 14 | FuneralTimes

Tel +31(0)628 445566

and relatives of the deceased are invaluable and we are so pleased that our beautiful Memorial Trees offer an option for a group memorial for up to 600 individuals at low shared cost for those purchasing memorial leaves along with a simple business model with a very attractive income stream for purchasers.

We are delighted that we found two local partners to work with us.

Our COR TEN Memorial Trees will be laser cut, welded and assembled just outside Dublin and installed by our partner Green Acre, based in Belfast.

FuneralTimes | 15

Edelle brings compassion to funeral singing S

tephen Dunwoody of the Ards Chronicle recently ran a piece on Edelle McMahon, whom you may better know as the beautiful voice serenading visitors at the Funeral Times Trade Show Ireland 2017. Edelle is used to a chorus of raised eyebrows when describing to people her career catering for both weddings and funerals alike. “I have a background in choral singing and have always been involved in choirs,“ explains Edelle. “I suppose I’m singing to my strengths, as they say. Of course, unlike weddings, when it comes to bookings you tend to get short notice!”

As might be expected, there’s much more to the funeral singing business than simply standing at the front of the church. “A big part of it is giving comfort and compassion.

Some people have difficulty when it comes to choosing songs and hymns. Most have little experience and it’s good to have someone to guide you through the choice of songs. It’s important to have something appropriate so nobody is embarrassed on the day because of lyrical content. For example, Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah is very popular, but does involve some dark sexual themes”, explains Edelle.

Now residing in Belfast, the songstress from Emyvale, Co. Monaghan, has come a long way from the 10-year-old who was given a guitar as a birthday present.

This September past she took the bold step to devote herself fully to a career as a professional musician, however she has never forgotten her roots.

“I grew up in the Irish trad folk scene in the 80s,” she explains. “I loved Irish dancing and I went to guitar lessons every Saturday and sang in the church choir on Sundays. I really owe so much to my mentor, Gerard McQuaid, who believed in me and taught me what it is to be a performer. You know the old saying ‘the show must go on.’”

18 | FuneralTimes

Edelle has just released an album which is attracting huge praise, entitled Adventures In Narcissism. “It’s not actually all about me, I just loved the title. It made me laugh,” insists the singer songwriter.

Despite playing to a sell-out audiene in Belfast in November the singer is under no illusions as to just how difficult it is to pay the bills as a musician in Ireland. “I left a good job in IT, but for me the album and the decision to turn professional is a personal achievement. I never thought I would be a legit musician and it means so much to be accepted by my colleagues and peers.”

“I came late into the writing business in my early 30s, as I didn’t think I had anything to say. I have had help from my co-writers Jim Johnston and Paul Wilkinson from the group Jackson Cage.”

“Recording started back in February 2015 in Michael Mormecha’s studio in Lisburn and it’s entirely self-funded so I really had no deadlines to meet. It was wonderful to

have Michael’s input into the production side of things.”

Returning to the topic of funerals, Edelle tells me of the recent Funeral Times trade show in Dublin. “I had a wonderful time there and they really looked after me. The people involved in this business are so kind and caring, which makes sense as providing comfort is a major part of what they do.”

w: http://edellemcmahon.com T: +44 (0) 791 998 4176 E: edellemcmahonmusic@gmail.com

GerryWreath McDermott Manufacturer Circular Road, Roscommon

Mob: 086 2544126 or Mob: 086 8205215

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Representing the needs of almost 4,000 funeral homes, the National Association of Funeral Directors is the “Voice of the Funeral Profession”, supporting members and assuring the public of high standards for more than 100 years.

The NAFD is influential • Consulted by Government on legislative issues • First call for the media on funeral / bereavement issues • Established cross party groups in all four UK Parliaments / Assemblies • Universally endorsed professional qualifications

The NAFD is inclusive • We are financially independent of any other organisation • We campaign on issues affecting all members equally • Members range from small independent firms to groups and Co-operatives • We are totally democratic with one member, one vote - irrespective of the number of funeral homes

The NAFD is supportive • Best benefits package within the sector, saving up to £5,000 a year on essential business costs • Free helplines for financial, legal and employment law, HR, public relations and repatriation issues • Free £5m professional indemnity insurance per UK funeral home member - unique within the sector • Free insurance against tribunal claims, H&S and tax prosecutions

The NAFD is trusted • NAFD members are trusted by consumers to deliver our Funeral Promise: • A funeral that is a fitting farewell, at a price they are comfortable with • Treating bereaved families with respect and acting with integrity • Fulfilling any special wishes and requests • The right to independent redress if the need should arise

Your business will be Stronger by Association with the NAFD. Apply to join today and start taking advantage of the benefits of membership.

Call: Su Lewis on 0121 711 1343 ext. 20.

Visit: www.nafd.org.uk/whyjointhenafd

NAFD News Government announces changes to Social Fund from April T

he Government has announced plans to simplify the process for making claims under the Social Fund Funeral Expenses Payments scheme.

In a written statement, the new Minister for Family Support, Housing and Child Maintenance, Kit Malthouse MP, confirmed a number of changes that will come into effect on 2 April 2018, including:• Enabling claimants to receive contributions from charities, relatives or friends without them being deducted from the overall sum payable toward funeral costs; • Claimants will have six months from the funeral date in which to make an application for help with funeral costs, instead of the current three months; • Evidence needed in support of the claim will be able to be submitted electronically.

The announcement follows a consultation held by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in the summer of 2017, to which the NAFD and many NAFD members responded. In its response, the NAFD highlighted a wide range of serious failings and concerns in relation to the Social Fund, and criticised the DWP for the narrow parameters of the consultation as it excluded key issues such as how eligibility could be better and more easily established by bereaved families, the length of processing time, the inadequacy of the £700 ‘other funeral expenses’ payment and poor levels of signposting to the benefit by government agencies.

These are issues that have also been raised through the NAFD’s meetings with Mr

Malthouse’s predecessors across more than a decade and yet were still missing from the long overdue review of the Social Fund.

In a response to the announcement by Mr Malthouse, Alison Crake, President of the National Association of Funeral Directors, said: “The NAFD welcomes any moves to make the Social Fund funeral payment simpler to apply for and more effective in providing financial support to those who need it.

“However, we remain concerned that the changes announced continue to avoid tackling some of the benefit’s biggest failings - such as the lack of a proper eligibility screening system, the long wait for a decision and the fact that the amount provided in the benefit to cover the main costs of a funeral hasn’t risen since 2003, yet local council burial and cremation fees are covered in full, no matter what the cost.

There are also fundamental issues with the wording and interpretation of the Statutory Instrument which underpins the Social Fund funeral payment. These are issues that the NAFD and others have raised time and time again, yet which the Department for Work and Pensions seem to be wilfully avoiding.

“The NAFD recognises the financial challenges faced by the Government, however this situation is simply not sustainable. We are delighted that the new Minister has already reached out to the funeral profession, and hope that his appointment to the role marks the start of a greater willingness by the DWP to address these ongoing issues - which FuneralTimes | 21

cause heartache for tens of thousands of bereaved people every year and leave funeral directors picking up the pieces (and often the shortfall too).” Following receipt of an invitation from the new Minister,

a meeting is being urgently arranged in which representatives of the NAFD plan to highlight these concerns, once again, and seek a commitment from Mr Malthouse that they will be properly addressed.

Celebrating success! The NAFD’s 2017 graduates receive their awards

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n December, the NAFD celebrated with its 2017 graduates, who received their NAFD Diploma in Funeral Directing, or Funeral Arranging and Administration - or, in the case of our newly qualified tutors, their Certificate in Education.

The graduation ceremony took place at Birmingham City University, which endorses the NAFD’s qualifications programme, along with One Awards, with the awards handed out by NAFD President Alison Crake and Dawn Albery, Head of Birmingham City Business School, in front of an audience packed full of family and friends.

Addressing the graduates, NAFD President Alison Crake said: “Graduates, congratulations! You have worked hard. You deserve to be proud of this achievement, and to take this opportunity to celebrate. I would like to offer a few words of wisdom as you go forward in your careers: Firstly, if you carry out your responsibilities consistently, to the best of your ability, people will trust you as a colleague, and turn to you for leadership.

Secondly, act with courage; always

22 | FuneralTimes

remember the reasons for your purpose in serving the needs of the bereaved and in care of the deceased – and never be afraid to ask for help if you need support. Never forget to look after yourself – especially your health, both physical and mental – as this occupation can at times have impact upon our own wellbeing, as well as being rewarding when working with families.

“Follow your instincts and curiosity wherever they lead, and broaden your knowledge by reading, listening, researching and experiencing as much as you can. Embrace opportunities and create opportunities for yourself. It’s the key to our success as a society, and it helps us grow as individuals. Be bold and take risks, and don’t let the fear of failure stop you. Failure is a part of life - it’s another way to learn. Change is a part of life, too. At times it’s frightening, but we should see it as a chance to explore, and to test our capabilities. Above all, enjoy what you do. Take pleasure and satisfaction in what you achieve.”

All Party Group for funerals and bereavement marks another successful year The All Party Parliamentary Group for Funerals and Bereavement held its Annual Christmas event in the House of Commons on 13 December 2017, marking a successful year and looking ahead to the key issues for 2018.

Chair of the Group, Mark Pawsey MP, outlined the work of the Group over the last year and thanked attendees for their continued support. The President of the NAFD, Alison Crake, thanked Mark for his chairmanship of the Group, and for the parliamentarians present for their work in putting funeral and bereavement issues firmly

on Parliament’s agenda. Special thanks were given to Bill Olner and Baroness Lorely Burt for their work as chairs of the Group in earlier parliaments.

Alison also recognised the enormous contribution Debbie Kerslake has made after ten years as Chief Executive of Cruse Bereavement Care, ahead of her retirement in the New Year.

The event provided an opportunity for MPs and Peers to discuss issues currently affecting the sector with representatives of the NAFD. Topics included death certification, prepaid funeral plans and Social Fund Funeral Payments.

Concerns about hospice franchise funeral business

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n November, St. Margaret’s Hospice in Devon launched a new funeral service in Taunton, in what it termed ‘a natural extension of its end of life care’ but, subsequently, was revealed to be part of a new commercial franchise business opportunity.

In its initial response, the NAFD highlighted how closely funeral directors work with hospices across the UK and support them with fundraising, often in discreet ways to avoid upsetting or offending anyone dealing with a terminal illness. The Association also observed that some hospices have rejected fundraising or donations from funeral homes, to avoid giving the impression of any connection or obligation to their clients – and the NAFD noted the apparent irony of a hospice now deciding to bypass these kinds of concerns and set up its own funeral service.

It is, perhaps, understandable that St Margaret’s might see organising the funeral as an extension of the care they provide when someone is dying but, in reality, the two professions are very different and it is surprising to see a hospice decide to invest its funds in the considerable costs

required to set up and operate a professional commercial funeral service.

The NAFD is concerned that, in order to recoup this investment, families may be overly encouraged, or feel obligated, to use the hospice’s funeral service rather than checking the services, quality and prices of a range of local funeral providers, in order to choose the funeral director that is best for them.

Having subsequently been in receipt of copies of the letter, from Memoria (the firm behind the initiative) promoting this franchise opportunity, the Association has expressed further concern that the motives behind the move are even less altruistic than previously suspected, and that hospices taking up the franchise opportunity will simply become another commercial provider in the market, moving from a charitable organisation providing services, to one that simply sells them.

For these reasons, the National Association of Funeral Directors shares the concerns of The Good Funeral Guide, expressed in a letter written to 191 UK hospices which features in today’s Guardian (8 Dec 2017).

FuneralTimes | 23

Develop your professional skills in 2018 Why not add an NAFD qualification to your professional achievements in 2018?

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he Associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s two Diploma courses provide comprehensive training for funeral service professionals and are considered the gold standard qualifications for the sector. The Diploma in Funeral Arranging & Administration (Dip FAA) and the Diploma in Funeral Directing (Dip FD) are studied for across a period of between 9-15 months (dependent upon the qualification) and are delivered by a team of highly qualified NAFD approved tutors and assessed by the NAFD Board of Examiners.

There are qualified NAFD tutors based in member funeral businesses across the UK, from Southampton to up to Dundee, and from Belfast in Northern Ireland over to Norwich in the East of England, with numerous member firms not only focusing on their own employeesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; professional development but supporting other member firms too.

To find your nearest tutor, visit nafdqualifications.com and follow the simple registration process.

As well as the two diplomas, the Association is also supported in delivery of its education programme by the London Association of Funeral Directors, which

operates the LAFD Certificate in Funeral Arranging & Administration. Launched in 2007, the twelve-week LAFD Certificate in Funeral Arranging & Administration course has been designed specifically as a qualification for those in the frontline of funeral service. Course alumni have been drawn from a variety of funeral service backgrounds: from those with several years of experience to relatively new staff and from the smallest to the largest member firms.

With both the diplomas and LAFD certificate, graduates are entitled to use a post nominal after their name to indicate their successful completion of the qualification.

For further information about NAFD Qualifications, please contact the NAFD Education team on: trainingadministration@nafd.org.uk, call 0121 711 1343, ext. 1005, or visit nafdqualifications.org.uk. Full details of the courses and all fees can be found on this site. For further information about the LAFD Certificate, please contact the course administrator, LAFD Secretary Judith Williams on secretary@lafd.org.uk, call 07776 995335, or visit www.lafd.org.uk.

Train to teach T

he National Association of Funeral Directors is a training centre approved by One awards for the delivery of the Certificate in Education and Training and the Award in Education and Training. The programme provides funeral directors with a knowledge of teaching and enhancement of skills to enable

24 | FuneralTimes

them to tutor students on behalf of the NAFD. This is an integrated teacher training programme, based on the development of tutoring skills to national qualification standards and integrated with the knowledge required to deliver NAFD qualifications.

There are six units of learning: • Understanding Roles, Responsibilities and Relationships in Education and Training • Delivering Education and Training • Using Resources for Education and Training • Assessing learners in Education and Training • Planning to meet the needs of learners in Education and Training.

• Teaching in a Specialist Area The training is delivered through ten workshops, with additional self-guided personal learning and independent research, with regular assessments and submission of written work. Students also need to deliver at least 30 hours of teaching practice.

Course content doesn’t just cover how to funeral professionals, but also how to support students through the learning

process too. Nick Round, the NAFD’s Training and Professional Support Manger, is passionate about the standard of tutoring NAFD approved tutors are able to provide.

He says: “We have taken an extra step to ensure that not only are we able to provide rigorous training for prospective tutors to achieve the recognised national teaching qualification standards, but that tutors understand about the hard and soft skills required for learning and student development too.”

“In addition, the NAFD is aware that there may be prospective tutors who may benefit from receiving additional support to improve their key skills in English and Maths. There may be others who experience the impact of Dyslexia or other related conditions. For this reason, we are able to support tutors and offer access to a range of resources and tools available.”

General Richard Lord Dannatt CBE to be keynote speaker for Conference 2018

T

he NAFD is delighted to confirm that former head of the British Army and Durham University graduate, General Lord Richard Dannatt, will be keynote speaker at Conference 2018, which will be held in the stunning city of Durham, from 17-20 May 2018.

Lord Dannatt is one of the most successful Generals of our times. Highly respected by his peers and governments, Lord Dannatt was a key advisor to the David Cameron defence team in 2009/2010. A frequent and popular commentator on current affairs and security issues, his views regularly feature in the media.

With regulation of not just funeral directors but funeral plans on the agenda, as well as progress against the governance reform voted for at Conference 2017, this is set to be a conference not to miss. Education and shared learning will also feature highly

on the agenda, being both NAFD President’s professional passion and the theme for her Presidential year.

A leafy and peaceful city on the banks for the river Weir, Durham boasts several UNESCO World Heritage sites, as well as a maze of hilly, cobbled streets as well as the stunning Durham Cathedral, Durham Castle and Durham University. Conference will be held in the Auger Suite at the Radisson Blu hotel in the heart of the city. The hotel offers modern bedrooms, a state-of-the-art health club and respected restaurant and bar, and will provide a welcoming backdrop to what is sure to be a lively and thought provoking few days.

Tickets go on sale for Conference 2018 shortly. Enquires about sponsorship packages should go to NAFD Business Manager Kirsti Tomkinson on 0121 7111343; ext. 1009.

FuneralTimes | 25

Coleman Milne Northern Ireland and Scotland: Coleman Milne Northern Ireland and Scotland: Tony Kerr 07860 586850 Tony Kerr 07860 586850 Coleman Milne Sales Manager: Coleman Milne Sales Manager: Graham Clow 07860 380450 Graham Clow 07860 380450

Byrne Coachbuilders Byrne Coachbuilders LtdLtd

Coes Road, Dundalk, Louth, Coes Road, Dundalk, Co.Co. Louth, Republic Ireland Republic of of Ireland Office: +353 933 4631 Office: +353 4242 933 4631

Sales Manager: Sales Manager: Leech +353 604 1227 JoeJoe Leech +353 8686 604 1227 Managing Director: Managing Director: Peadar Byrne +353 101 8385 Peadar Byrne +353 8585 101 8385

Ian Bendall Funeral Directors choose Coleman Milne Mercedes I

an Bendall Funeral Directors have been serving the Dumfries and Galloway area for over 60 years with care and dedication, and we’re proud to have delivered their first Coleman Milne vehicle; a Mercedes E220 Hearse.

This family run business was started in the 1950’s by Ian’s Aunt and Uncle and Ian has been running it since 1985. In that time the company has gone from strength to strength, supporting their community through difficult times and expanding the premises to include another office.

Ian’s daughter, Kimberley, has also joined the business and oversaw the modern transformation of the offices to create a welcoming and comforting, professional atmosphere.

The classic Mercedes hearse makes a fine

addition to the fleet with its sleek lines and adorning wreath rails. The integrated coverboards, Sat Nav and Bluetooth ensure that this vehicle is as practical as it is stylish.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank Ian Bendall Funeral Directors for choosing Coleman Milne.

Carriage Master Vehicles select stylish Mercedes pair C arriage Master Vehicles of Stoke have taken delivery of a Mercedes Hearse and Limousine to add to their existing Coleman Milne Fleet.

Philip and Duncan established Carriage Master Vehicles of Stoke 3 years ago and have been providing distinguished Coleman Milne vehicles to their local funeral directors ever since.

Phil said: “These vehicles will provide the local independent, family-run funeral directors of Cheshire and Staffordshire the opportunity to offer the highest standards of service and luxury to their clients at affordable prices” The all new Mercedes E213 vehicles feature full leather interior, led lighting to illuminate the deck area and a soft-close tailgate as standard. The Limousine also offers class leading leg room and multi-

28 | FuneralTimes

L-R: Philip Bird, Stephen Kent, CM’s Eddie Marsden, Duncan Derrick, and David Clarke chamber air control for the comfort of all passengers.

We would like to thank Carriage Master Vehicles for their loyalty and wish them every success as they continue to grow.

Philip and Duncan can be contacted on 07973162235 or 07927297742

L-R: Ray Thornalley, Stacey from Coleman Milne and Andrew Thornalley

Thornalley Funeral Services takes delivery of two Ford Tourneos

T

hornalley Funeral Services has brought two new Ford Grand Tourneo Connect’s with Z Fold Deck to add to their fleet.

The independent, family run business has been serving the families of West Norfolk since they were established in 1981.

In 2016 they took ownership of a second branch; Chapmans & Thornalley Funeral Services in Swaffham and have recently completed a refurb to keep the premises in line with their high standards and are

currently extending their head office in Kings Lynn.

Father and Son team Ray and Andrew (pictured) along with their wives Shirley and Abi, have previously used Coleman Milne for some of their vehicles and returned for the service and support that Coleman Milne delivers. The Tourneos have underdeck storage for folding stretchers and the Z fold deck offers unique versatility for optimum vehicle functionality.

All New Mercedes 213 fleet for Alan Jones Funeral Directors

A

lan Jones Funeral Directors have over 50 years experience in the industry and are renowned for the excellent care and attention they provide. With 4 premises in the North West, they know what it takes to succeed and with excellence in mind they came back to Coleman Milne.

Currently running a fleet of 8 vehicles including a private ambulance, Alan Jones has previously chosen the Ford based models but since the launch of the New E213s at NFE this year, he was won over by the modern styling and classic elegance of the new Mercedes based vehicles. And having just completed an extension and interior update at two of the branches, what better way to complement the refurbishment than adding a fine fleet of three?!

Gary said; “We’re a local family-run business and we’re totally independent so

Gary Jones with Graham Clow

we need a service we can trust. We’ve been going to Coleman Milne for our last three fleets and the service is always right.”

Gary and the team at Alan Jones Funeral Directors have been early adopters of the new 213 model hearse and limousine which feature full leather interior, heated front seats, and alloy wheels. The vehicles have been so well received by drivers and passengers alike that they have ordered another two vehicles for delivery in 2018.

FuneralTimes | 29

New Years resolutions at DJ Mac Neice With January nearly behind us we are well and truly into the swing of the New Year. As is custom for people in the New Year lots of resolutions are made and here at DJ Mac Neice we are no different.

Our resolution this year is simple; to continue our long tradition of supplying high quality, competitively priced funeral and mortuary products to funeral directors and embalmers all over the country.

Based conveniently close to the M50 in Glasnevin we are very easy to get to. We are in the process of remodelling our premises to include a brand new showroom which will showcase all of our products. Here you can come and browse our extensive range which includes coffin mountings and linings, funeral accessories such as grave markers, traffic cones and condolence books - all the way to coffin trolleys at your leisure and there will always be a friendly staff member on hand to assist you.

Our aim is to serve as a one stop shop for all your funeral and mortuary needs. The door is always open should you wish to pay us a visit, as many customers do.

We offer a customising service for condolence books. Just provide your business details and we can print them on condolence book covers and Mass card holders in gold or silver. This is a great way to get your business’ name out there.

Our full range of embalming products is displayed in our showroom. This is a must see for any embalmer! As well as embalming chemicals, we supply a full range of embalming products such as instruments, personal protective equipment and mortuary airbrush make-up kits.

Our fully trained sales team will be on hand should you have any questions regarding any products. We are constantly updating 30 | FuneralTimes

our product range to bring you the latest innovations in the industry. If there is something we don’t stock that you want we are more than happy to source it for you.

If you can’t personally call we have many other ways for you to place an order with us. We are always contactable by phone so you can call in an order anytime. This comes with the benefit of next day delivery with our courier service so you can be confident you will have the products you need, when you need them.

Alternatively, our extensive range of products is available to view on our website.

You can place your quote request through our website and a friendly member of our sales team will contact you to discuss your order and answer any questions you might have.

DJ Mac Neice has a long history in the funeral industry but our aim has always stayed the same - to provide products of the highest quality at a competitive price while delivering excellent customer service. We look forward to doing business with you in the future.

DJ Mac Neice & Co. Ltd, 37a Barrow Road, Dublin Industrial Estate, Glasnevin, Dublin 11. 01-8828731 sales@djmacneice.com www.djmacneice.com

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7H 7HKZ HUK WSH[LZ [V Z\P[ HSS HUK JVM続UZ HUK JHZRL[Z K WSplates to suit all coffi JVM続U JVM続 VM続 Pads and ns and caskets

Strengthening commitments in 2018 Professional Embalmers’ Association of Ireland

T

he newly appointed officers of the Professional Embalmers’ Association of Ireland are looking forward to the challenges and opportunities that await in 2018.

Since its founding in 2005, the PEAI has gone from strength to strength, serving its members on both a national and international stage. The organisation has worked hard to represent and address the concerns of embalmers across Ireland meeting with government officials, hosting educational events and most importantly, creating a forum that fosters and promotes best practices in modern embalming.

There are challenges ahead for all embalmers in Ireland. The absence of licencing remains an outstanding issue - prompting the National Council of the Forum on End of Life and the Health Protection Surveillance Centre to comment about their concerns surrounding standards of funeral care and health and safety practices within the Irish funeral industry.

The Biocidal Products Regulations still loom on the horizon, and many of us are still uncertain about the future of formaldehyde in our embalming products. Leading figures from the U.S. and U.K. funeral industries have reported on the continuing changes in local funeral customs and the decline of modern embalming in their country.

In 2018, the officers of the PEAI will take an active role in exploring these challenges on behalf of the membership. Over the past thirteen years, the organisation has developed strong links with significant industry figures and government bodies while at the same time nurturing and growing an active and vocal membership across Ireland. The PEAI are proud that

32 | FuneralTimes

Ireland can stand out from the rest of the world as being a country that promotes high standards of embalming and funeral care.

Building on this success, the PEAI will turn these challenges into opportunities - not just for the membership, but for all embalmers in Ireland.

The Professional Embalmers’ Association of Ireland believes the embalmer has the most critical role in funeral care. It is the embalmer’s job to present the deceased with the highest amount of care and dignity. For the deceased’s family, seeing their loved one for the last time becomes a picture they will remember for the rest of their life. The final image of the departed is essential to the families grieving process, and when the deceased looks their best, it eases the burden. The embalmers’ work ensures that the family and their greater community have a positive, lasting memory of their loved ones. For this reason, embalming is not just an element of the funeral process; it is the crucial part.

In 2018, the Professional Embalmers’ Association of Ireland will continue to promote embalming both nationally and internationally. Through communication, education and hard work the PEAI aim to turn all challenges into opportunities.

The organisation welcomes input from its members and every funeral practitioner all dialogue is essential to the growth and promotion of our work.

If you wish to learn more about the PEAI, please visit our website: www. professionalembalmers.ie or contact us by email: secretary@professionalembalmers. ie.

www.professionalembalmers.ie

New delivery from Fearghas Quinn R. Gibney of Gibneys OldcastleCheshire Funeral Directors, collects newhearse hearseand fromlimousine Fearghas Peter Forshaw FuneralofServices, collect their new Ehisclass Quinn Hearse and Limousines. from Fearghas Quinn Hearse & Limousines

New delivery from Fearghas Quinn R. Gibney Gibneys of Oldcastle Funeral Funeral Directors, collects his new hearse Fearghas Seamus andofDeborah from McLaughlinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Directors, Dungiven Co.from Derry with their Quinn Hearse and Limousines.

Insignia from Fearghas Quinn Hearse & Limousines 34 | FuneralTimes

Writing to be heard W

hoever I’m working with on the design of a funeral, you’ll hear me explain at some point about how the draft script is likely to look.

I prepare clients for a piece of writing that will be sent to them, that at times looks odd.

At various points, it will feel awkward to read, and I can guarantee that it would fail any academic, English language or grammar test! The reason is simple. My ceremonies are written to be ‘heard’ and not to ‘read’ and I write them hearing myself saying the very words I put together.

When I’m delivering a ceremony, then the language, pace, tone, punctuation and overall presentation carries just as much weight, if not more sometimes, than the actual written content. Writing to be ‘heard’ is very different from writing pieces of work that are to be read and digested.

When you’re writing to be heard, you’re writing for immediate impact! It’s about

CIVIL FUNERAL CEREMONIES

thinking through every single word you use.

It’s a different skill set and not everyone understands it.

In my design work, I make use of language patterns. I systematically hit all of the senses. I speak in colour as well as in ‘black and white’. I draw from the past as well as walk people into the future. I talk the ‘big picture’ alongside the detail...and lots, lots more. It all helps to create a ceremony that’s engaging, captivating and unforgettable and any Celebrant worth their weight in gold, should be able to explain how they do this!

Your ceremonies are a one off experience.

You won’t get a second chance to run them again. So if you’ve got a Celebrant in mind for your celebration, do ask them how they approach their writing and presenting.

You owe it to yourselves to have the best.

Padraic Cawley MICF Civil Funeral Celebrant

Celebrating the life of the deceased, reflecting their personal beliefs, wishes, values and traditions.

Padraic Cawley MICF Civil Funeral Celebrant

087 267 6050

padraic@padraiccawley.ie www.padraiccawley.ie

Setting the national standard

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FuneralTimes | 35

Memorial-Printing.com Quality personalised memorial products • Memorial Cards • Wallet Cards • Bookmarks • Acknowledgement Cards • Order of Service booklets

You don’t have to take our word for it Just go to: http://www.memorial-printing.com/testimonials

and see what our customers think Give us a call to discuss how we can work with you on 028 3835 5060 (048 from RoI) 36 | FuneralTimes

Missing for 72 hours

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.

S

ometimes life changes or is interrupted by strange or unanticipated situations. This is an account of an individual who left one Saturday morning and was finally located on the following Tuesday in a covered country area about 15 miles away from home. His car had turned over after driving off the road and eventually flipped over and hit a tree. The driver was found dead and pinned under the car when the police got a call from a working farmer who spotted the car turned over on a remote part of his property.

I received a call from a former student of mine who had just been recently licensed but was a talented and conscientious embalmer. I also worked some with his father, uncle, and grandfather. This family is, and always has been, a credit to the profession.

When this relatively new embalmer sees something new to him or something he hasn’t experienced, we talk and he reacts like a pro. He’s new but has been around good people and a lot of good habits have rubbed off on him. His desire to be the best he can be makes him stand out, and he is a true example of the millennial generation’s best.

I have found that having the desire to learn, and courage, and doing the best you can, can all add up to serve families well, right from the start without waiting for many years of experience. Especially compared to those folks who tend to do things the way grandpa did or the way a mentor wearing blinders did for many years. Thirty years of experience can add up to thirty years of doing things the same way without learning much. Some people get stuck in time and

don’t grow to meet challenges.

Unfortunately, new apprentices get stuck in their time capsule and join the negative growth team. Embalmers set in their own ways, or the ways of others, and living in fear of change are vulnerable to making common embalming mistakes with the difficult cases today.

Having the courage to step out of your comfort zone and learn techniques to increase your skills is essential to grow and succeed as an embalmer who can meet all the difficult challenges that modern medicine throws our way.

I arrived at the funeral home early in the afternoon just after the body arrived and I garbed up to help remove the remains from the pouch. Of course, we began to do a case analysis as we placed the body on the table and on top of three body rests. The smell of decomposition was obvious and scattered skin slip and some blistering were present.

Tissue gas was present and vessels were beginning to show their road map look by rising to the surface of the skin on the chest and side walls. They had done a complete autopsy to check the remains for any signs of foul play. I noticed tiny white specks that looked like thread in and around the eyes.

It turned out that they were maggot eggs, laid but not formed yet. A few had begun to hatch with signs of early movement. We loaded a 50 cc syringe with Dry Wash II and injected this into the nostrils until they filled, and we also filled the mouth to make sure to kill or drive out any larvae.

I now make this a common procedure FuneralTimes | 37

because of an experience several years ago. Back then, I received a call from an embalmer who heard some noise coming from the nostrils of a remains laid out and scheduled for a 9am funeral service. It was 7:15 am when I got the call. I investigated the noise and knew it was maggots without seeing any. I protected the body and the interior of the casket by covering both with plastic and towels, and I injected Dry Wash II into the nose. I could not believe the sight of many larvae coming out of the nose and mouth. I removed them (with my gloved hands and a wash cloth) until no more came out. I swabbed the mouth and nose and then applied some touch-up cosmetic. The funeral director told some of the early arrivals that we were making some adjustments with the chapel, flowers, etc. It was 8:40am when all was good. Talk about pressure, with a 9am planned funeral service! No damage was done except for possible ulcers for myself and the funeral director.

Now let’s continue with our accident restoration and tissue gas case. The young embalmer and I were able to treat and clean the orifices with Dry Wash II to insure there were no living critters that could cause some undesirable experience during viewing. After a thorough disinfection using Dis-Spray, due to the fact that this was a restorative case, we used an adjustable mouth closure by suturing the mouth and using the left (nonviewing) nostril to place the final shoe string like tie. This suture allows for adjusting to be done more easily than the usual closure using injector needles. This nasal tie closure is easy to adjust even during a viewing, if it’s necessary to do a quick fix if there are any 38 | FuneralTimes

complaints about the mouth. The blood had settled (post mortem stain) into the tissue so we knew drainage would be poor and the blood colouration couldn’t be removed but only counter-stained with the use of some dye.

We mixed a waterless solution consisting of three 16 oz. bottles of Proflow, 2 oz. of Inr-Tone Blonde dye, three 16oz. bottles of Rectifiant, and three 16 oz. bottles of Introfiant OTC which would help to bleach the discoloured tissue. The OTC has no dye of its own but helps to bleach tissue. We also added 16 ounces of Halt GX to the mix to treat and remove the tissue gas that seemed to be becoming more severe by the minute.

This chemical stands by itself for clostridium perfringens killing power. It is insurance that should be on the shelf in every prep room to make sure you have what it takes to meet the challenges of tissue gas and keep the casket open. Too many caskets are closed because this bug (clostridium) wasn’t killed, even though the tissue was firm and the body seemed preserved. Firming or preserving tissue is only part of this type of embalming. The closer is making sure you have killed the bug so you stop any new gas from forming and prevent purge and decomposition.

After opening the stitches of the cranial autopsy and removing the calvarium, we cauterized the tissue using thin layers of cotton saturated with Dryene II liquid. I like this product because it dries tissue quickly and with no phenol which means we won’t have that lingering phenol odor in our hair and clothing when we go home or go to greet the public after the embalming. Packs of Webril saturated with Dryene II were also

applied to all facial wounds and to tissue damage on the body, basically on any open, raw, or exposed tissue. We injected the head first with our strong solution using 60 lbs. of pressure and a low rate of flow, ranging from three to seven ounces per minute on pulsation.

The internal carotid stubs were intact and easy to clamp off, and we established enough vascular pressure to get good distribution to the head. The few weak spots of tissue damage were covered with packs to give added drying and preservation.

The young embalmer began injecting the remainder of the body, primarily the arms and legs. I began surveying the head dimensions and was able to use a stitch connecting both sides of the head through the temporal bones which were damaged.

The end of the connecting stitch was in the centre of the open cranium at the back of the head. As I made two loops in the ligature and began to tighten, the head was compressed to a normal width. This is a fast, easy way to establish normal width again to the head. The bones of the left side of the forehead were cracked but intact. The right side of the forehead was shattered with several small pieces of bone remaining. The front cheek bone was crushed and sunk inward, and some bone pieces were found inside the viscera bag.

The apprentice assisted in drilling some holes while I steadily held the pieces with a pair of pliers. We alternated who used the drill or held the pliers and bone. Holding the pliers with two hands and placing them on a table worked for a homemade vise.

We placed the puzzle of bone together and secured them with thin wire. The right side of the frontal bone was too shattered to use so we removed it and used a piece of a Styrofoam wig holder as a replacement.

This, of course, was customized to fit properly and then supported with a good footing to firmly support the head. The biggest mistake when using Styrofoam or any other necessary artificial fill in a cranium is not customizing it to fit properly in the cranial cavity. By separating the connective tissue of the right eyelid, we were able to access the forehead and level

the area between the bone and Styrofoam insuring a smooth, natural looking forehead.

We used the Inr-Seel applicator to apply Inr-Seel putty similar to using it on a cranial autopsy to ensure no appearance of the separated bone of the cranium. This is a valuable tool for restoring natural levels to visibly damaged surface bones of the face.

By separating the eyelid connective tissue, the embalmer can access the forehead and cheekbones without making further incisions. Separating the tissue from the bone, cauterizing, and then levelling with Inr-Seel can effectively take care of many facial bone restorations. The tissue of the outer right eye was able to be dried and glued using Aron Alpha. Wax was placed on the lid and eyebrow tissue to replace missing sections of brow by placing hair into the wax. The combination of repairing the damaged bone and replacing the severely damaged or missing bone with fitted Styrofoam worked well and we were able to restore the head to a normal shape and pleasant appearance. This case was wellembalmed, the tissue gas was deactivated, and the signs of trauma were gone. The rewarding part for the young embalmer and apprentice was the appreciation of the family for his â&#x20AC;&#x153;never say neverâ&#x20AC;? efforts.

What was probably going to be a closed casket service became an open casket service and a pleasant viewing. My reward was to see this young embalmer become an excellent embalmer in a short period of time because he wants to be the best he can be. His fearless but cautious desire to learn allows him to gain confidence to grow and succeed quickly, while some more experienced embalmers are stuck in time and afraid to even attempt procedures out of their comfort zone. Increasing skills and learning new techniques are necessary for all embalmers to meet the increasing challenges of the difficult case.

FuneralTimes | 39

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Farewell Celtic Ashes Memorial Jewellery Concept What is it? Cremation Jewellery handmade in Ireland with Sterling Silver and Borosilicate glass.

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Customers order a piece of jewelry online or from a funeral home or crematorium and a memorial pack is sent to them which includes a spoon, a small sealable, labeled plastic bag, a freepost envelope and an order form. They send the ashes back with the order form in the envelope provided. Using the ashes a beautiful completely unique piece of glass jewelry is created. There is also a scattering service which greatly appeals

42 | FuneralTimes

to clients who live abroad. Ashes are scattered on Irish Soil and in some cases, where requested, a short ceremony can take place and be filmed. A popular destination for this is the Cliffs of Moher in Co. Clare.

The fusion of ash with the glass creates a beautiful cloudlike affect and it ensures that each piece will be entirely unique and individual to you and your loved one. Different colours or charms can be added to make it even more personal.

Farewell Celtic Ashes has a base in both Dublin and New York, and has developed the original glass collection to include handmade sterling silver pieces that allows clients to put the ashes inside the vessels themselves in the comfort of their own home.

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FuneralTimes | 43

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Funeral Supplies Donegal Ltd.

BABY BASKET – Blue & Pink & Ivory

Leghowney Donegal Town Co. Donegal Ireland Tel: +353(0)74 9723715 Fax: +353 (0)74 9723742 Mobile: +353 (0)87 2376169 www.funeralsupplies.ie funeralsupplies@eircom.net

Ever-expanding range at Funeral Supplies Donegal F

uneral Supplies Donegal were thrilled to introduce their latest range of beautiful, luxurious coffin liners at the Funeral Times Trade Show Ireland 2017. Eamon Cassidy spoke with pride, describing the recent advancements in their tweed offerings. ‘We kicked off with the original “Magee of Donegal” (in Donegal, we are at the source!) Tweed and added BM Tweed, Bond and Zembla. It gives a warm touch and luxurious feeling. It brings more variety in the satin dominated market.’

Furthermore, Eamon notes a distinct market shift from shiny to matte linings.

The company are also introducing a range of products to soften, in some small way, the loss of a baby. This includes wicker baskets with tailor made upholstery (30cm and 40cm), available in blue, pink and white, Little Red Ridinghood (baby cape with matching swaddle The little red bag), Nest (baby basket in ridinghood soft teddy) and Sweet Dreams (rectangular baby swaddle bag in white 3D fabric with soft white teddy inside).

Wicker baskets, come in pink, blue or white

BM Tweed

Bond

FuneralTimes | 45

First E213 Mercedes Hearse delivered in 2018 B

yrne Coachbuilders are delighted to be delivering the New E-Class Mercedes Hearse to Annette and Gerard Quinn. As we are the main agent for Coleman Milne in Ireland we pride ourselves on giving the best service to all of our clients in delivering the highest quality hearses. The hearse was presented to the Quinn's at their Funeral Home in Bridge Street, Dundalk. The Hearse is of classic styling whilst maintaining the sleek

46 | FuneralTimes

lines of the new model. With the glass roof as a standard option, light floods the spacious interior, highlighting every detail.

The Quinn Family have been serving the people of Dundalk and surrounding area with 63 years of complete dedication to the funeral business. Byrne Coachcraft ltd and Coleman Milne would like to wish the Quinn's the very best of luck with their new Mercedes Hearse.

Celebrants on the rise with help from Humanists UK H

umanists UK successfully trained a group of of new funeral celebrants in Northern Ireland in early 2017. These celebrants have already conducted a huge number of funerals and memorial ceremonies across the province in recent months.

Our celebrants conduct ceremonies, cremations and burials for those who want a positive, personal, nonreligious ceremony which reflects the life and beliefs of the deceased in accordance with their wishes. We are available to work with families in any part of the country at any time.

Humanist funerals aim to be as inclusive as possible and very often contain a moment of quiet reflection in which those with religious beliefs are encouraged to use this time for the saying of private prayers if they wish. We can provide appropriate Orders of Service leaflets and suggest music, poems and readings for ceremonies whenever required.

To contact a celebrant, please use the numbers below: Maire De Buitlear Belfast T:07841 860276

Rachel Smith Belfast T: 07957 474643

Brian Elwood Dromore T: 07799 130009

Lara Harris Belfast T: 07803 703277

Stewart Holden Newtownabbey T: 07971 634098

Noel Scott Belfast T: 07860 444208

Sheena Bradley Dromore T: 07732 143183 Available Sat/Sun only

Julie Hassell L/Derry T: (+353) 749137916 T: 07510 851612 Sean Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Donnell L/Derry T: 07807 012534

FuneralTimes | 47

SAIF NEWS ... SAIF NEWS ...

The year ahead W

hilst looking at the New Year, have you stood back and looked at your funeral home with a critical eye? Could the front of your premises do with a fresh coat of paint? How about the carpet in the office, could that do with a clean, maybe even freshen the furniture in your reception area? You don’t need to spend a fortune to freshen up your premises, but the outcome could be more pleasing to the eye and even reassuring to your clients. The simplest of things could help improve your standing in the community.

Your staff are the back bone of your business, so doesn’t it make sense to have them trained?

Please contact Corinne on corinne@saif.org.uk to register your interest. Certificates on display showing that your staff are trained surely has got to be the way forward for 2018.

GDPR

T

he GDPR, which replaces the Data Protection Act 1998, aims primarily to give control back to individuals over their personal data. SAIF is providing resources and webinars to help members prepare in the run up to the enforcement in May 2018. On the 13th December there was a webinar – ‘Implications for funeral donations’ – and on the 10th

January a webinar discussing the implications and how this will affect the funeral director in practice – the links can be found on the Events page on the SAIF website Part 1 of the 3 part toolkit and '10 things to do and now' is available on the member’s area of the website.

SAIF AGM/Banquet Weekend 9th – 11th March 2018 Bookings for this year’s Banquet weekend are going well and we would urge our members who wish to attend to book as soon as possible.

We have 2 keynote speakers for the funeral profession covering Dementia Friendly Businesses and Regulations on Funeral Planning Marketing on the Friday.

Following the Annual General Meeting on Saturday morning, you will have the opportunity to ‘see the sights of Brighton’ or to attend an optional seminar on GDPR. With entertainment from Elvis on Friday evening and Saturday's Banquet with entertainment by ‘Suprema’- Ultimate Motown cover band, the weekend promises to be full and highly entertaining.

48 | FuneralTimes

Suprema will be providing entertainment For more information or to book please contact info@saif.org.uk or go to the SAIF website http://saif.org.uk/events/saif-agmbanquet-weekend-2018/

Join the association thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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

Funeral Expenses Payments P

lease see the forthcoming amendment to the DWP payment, which does not change the sum, but allows for the following from 2 April 2018: 1. This package of proposals will, among other things, enable claimants to receive contributions from charities, relatives or friends without them being deducted from the overall sum payable toward funeral costs.

2. In future, claimants will have six months from the funeral date in which to make an application for help with funeral costs instead of the current three months.

3. They will also have the option of submitting any evidence needed in support of their claim electronically.

Wreath Manufacture & Wholesale At Tom Sharkey & Sons Ltd.

Barrack Street, Ballaghaderreen, Co. Roscommon.

We have an extensive stock ready for delivery or collection including: • Circles of Life • Posies • Sprays • Hearts • Crosses • Cushions • Pillows • Gates of Heaven • Footballs and Jerseys • Posies with Candles • Lettering Wreaths All wreaths are created by fully qualified florists, reflecting contemporary design in floral arrangements. All at very competitive prices Discounts apply on scale of your orders.

Special requests catered for at shortest notice

n Free next day delivery on orders over €100

n Call or email now to receive our new brochure

Telephone: +00353 (0)94 986 0658 or email: sales@allseasonsflorists.ie BE SAFE BE NOTICED Hall Street, Kingscourt, Co. Cavan 042 9667309 : info@funeraldirectorsolutions.ie Funeral Cone c/w Sleeve

FUNERAL SIGNS BE SAFE BE SEEN Footpath Sign With Base

• • • • •

Funeral Cone 750mm Diamond 600mm Sign Square 600mm Sign Cone Mounted Funeral Sign Footpath double sided sign 800 x 400mm • Aluminium double Sided A Frame Sign

€20 each €75 each €75 each €50 each €125 each €150 each

(Prices exclude delivery and VAT)

Text and images can be to customers design.

All signs have a high reflectice backing.

www.funeraldirectorsolutions.ie T: 042 9667309 50 | FuneralTimes

800 x 400 Zintec Double Sided Sign Cone Mounted Sign

W

(L-R) Joe Adams and his Son-in-Law Ross Parke standing alongside their pre-owned Jaguar Fleet supplied by Wilcox Limousines Ltd.

‘Wilcox’ Jaguars for Adams, Read and Hocking

W T

he family Business was founded by Joe (Senior) and Ada Adams in 1947. They saw an opening for providing hearses and limousines to the many small local funeral directors in the area. They also ran a mini bus and taxi service to the local schools and businesses. Joe (Senior) died in 1977 leaving Joe (Junior) and his mother Ada as partners.

When Ada retired, Joe and his wife Jean became sole partners.

In 1988 Alan Read, one of the local funeral directors based in Egremont, retired and Joe and Jean bought his business, trading as E A Read. In 2004 another business was bought from William Hocking. The business name was then changed to Adams, Read & Hocking.

In 2005 Joe and Jean’s daughter, Wendy, and son-in-law, Ross Parke, joined the business, making it a truly family affair.

They built a funeral home in Egremont in

1994 and in 2005 built an additional funeral home to serve the community of Cleator Moor. Recently they have added to the Cleator Moor branch to give a purpose built office space, family facilities and preparation rooms.

As well as providing a service for the families of Cleator Moor and Egremont, they also cover the more rural areas of Gosforth, Seascale and Eskdale.

Professional independent funeral directors, they are members of NAFD Joe, Jean, Ross and Wendy were proud to receive the new fleet which forms part of their ongoing investment in the business in order to give the very best facilities and vehicles for the families they serve.

Wilcox Limousines Ltd would like to thank the family for choosing them to supply their latest fleet and wish them every success for the future.

FuneralTimes | 51

Dr Bill Webster How to have a better New Year I

don’t do New Year’s resolutions. I just don’t have the will power. Besides, the moment you “blow it”, (which is usually by January 2nd) you give up on your resolutions, and slip back into more of the “same old, same old.” I prefer to set GOALS. Things I want to accomplish in 2018. Goals are something you can keep working towards.

For many people, this past year may have brought many changes. Sometimes after a loss, the way people see everything in their world changes. At times we may even regard OURSELVES differently.

But we have to be careful.

Not too long ago, I was having trouble with my eyes. I just couldn’t seem to focus on the print in the newspaper, and everything seemed just a little foggy. I made an appointment with my ophthalmologist, who checked my eyes and pronounced that all was well. When I told him about my problem, he took my glasses, examined the lenses through a light, squirted some liquid from a spray bottle, and cleaned them with a tissue. Then he put the glasses back on my face.

WOW, everything looked so CLEAR! You see trouble wasn’t with my eyes or my vision, the problem was the filters through which I was seeing my world. And often after suffering through bereavement or a

significant change, sometimes the way we SEE the problem IS the problem.

The real problem is not the circumstances, but how we view these situations.

Sometimes we need to check the glasses through which we look at our world. Are the “spectacles” through which you filter your view of your world and its circumstances giving you an accurate picture? What’s your vision for 2018; the goals you want to reach; the accomplishments you want to fulfill; the places you want to go?

But you may ask, how do I set goals for this New Year? Let’s see if we can make it easier.

One of Stephen Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” is: “Begin with the Goal in Mind.”

Imagine where you want yourself to be one year from now in the various aspects and compartments of your life, and then work back, setting manageable objectives which will enable you to reach your desired goals.

Write these intentions down on paper.

What would 2018 have to look like to make it “better” for you? What personal goals and ambitions would you like to reach? What would you have to do to bring about that happy outcome? How about family? What would bring the people closer and make the next festive season one of thanksgiving.

‘Imagine where you want yourself to be one year from now ... setting manageable objectives’

52 | FuneralTimes

Only you can determine the things you write down on that paper. But when you have done it, you have a vision. You have established goals, and now you must set objectives by which, step by step, day by day throughout 2018 you can build towards making that vision a reality.

I find my own goals are getting more personal, and, I like to think, more focused on what is really important in life.

• My goal is to listen more.

• My goal is to offer more random acts of kindness. More notes left on the counter for my wife, or frequent words of appreciation to people like checkout counter people, or (and I mean no disrespect) the “little people” in life who far too often are neglected, mistreated or unappreciated. It makes their day … but it also makes mine.

• My goal is to laugh more. Let’s send more e-mail cartoons, or clever articles or jokes to each other. We all need a good laugh now and then.

• I would like to take more chances, and not play it “safe”. I also want to travel lighter in life.

• “Someday” and “one of these days” are losing their grip on my vocabulary. If it’s worth seeing, hearing or doing, I want to see and hear and do it now. Why wait, when it may never happen if you do.

• My goal is to show a cheerful disposition.

Try to lift people’s spirits, or surround yourself with people with a knack of doing that for you.

• Whenever possible, make life a pattern of experiences to savor, not to endure.

Even though I probably have more time to look back on than to look forward to in my life, I’m going to try to live 2018 as if it were my last, while doing everything I can to ensure that it isn’t. For people who take that attitude, the best is always yet to come.

As Peter Drucker puts it “The best way to predict the future is to create it.”

And if you do, you WILL have a better New Year.

FuneralTimes | 53

Treasured Keepsakes expand their collection T

reasured Keepsakes are once again expanding their range of jewellery.

They have recently introduced a beautiful Sterling Silver Bangle Bracelet to their collection.

Through their meetings with families, Treasured Keepsakes are always hearing what their clients like and what products they would also like to see. “Having had a number of requests lately from families looking for a keepsake bracelet we decided to look for one to add to our range. The new bracelet is beautiful and is another option for clients who do not wear necklaces. It can be easily adjusted by stretching or squeezing to accommodate different wrist sizes.” said Liza.

Treasured Keepsakes have Brass Urns, Hardwood Urns, Eco Urns, Brass Keepsakes and Keepsake Pendants all in stock just

waiting on your call. If you would like to view any of their products or would like to discuss how Treasured Keepsakes can deal directly with bereaved families on your behalf, please do not hesitate to contact them and they will be happy to discuss the options with you. In using their service you will enhance your business by giving the choice of a wide selection of products to your clients but at no extra cost to you.

For more information on any of our products or on how Treasured Keepsakes can work alongside your company contact Liza Webster or Edward Foley on Tel: 01 8254579. From NI: 00353 1 8254579 or email:info@ treasuredkeepsakes.ie or visit: www.treasuredkeepsakes.ie

Kelly’s Wreath Co. Ltd. Oakfield, Raphoe, Co. Donegal T:074 9145422 or M:087 6291046

• Nationwide delivery • Wreaths made to order, anything possible!

54 | 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 oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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

CPL

FUNERAL SUPPLIES

CPL FUNERAL SUPPLIES

William McGuckin

Tel: NI/ROI (028/048) 8167 1247 Mob: 0044 (0)7730 409000 Tel: NI (028) 816 71247 / ROI: (048) 816 71247 www.cplsupplies.com

sales@cplsupplies.com

Selection of second hand trade in stock

LEEC

HYDRAULIC HOIST VERY GOOD CONDITION PLEASE CONTACT US FOR DETAILS.

Selection of trolleys with new range of castors.

Jet Stone announce Rustenburg Granite The passionate, knowledgable team at Jet Stone Ltd. under leadership of Managing Director Bosco Whelan are delighted to announce the latest addition to their ever-expanding product range.

T

he company constantly strives, through tireless market research and conversation with customers, to better its offerings and introduce new, elegant products to the funerary industry.

The recent addition of Rustenburg Granite is just another example of Jet Stone’s commitment to their loyal client base and devotion to the wider funeral trade.

Rustenburg Granite is a strikingly beautiful black granite, boasting dark black base with large dark grey grains. Its flexibility in

finishes is an attractive quality, including; polished, honed, aged, sawn cut, sandblasted and bushhammered.

With well over a decade of service to the retail trade throughout Ireland behind them, Jet Stone Ltd. aim to set the standard for wholesale providers of Monumental Headstones and accessories.

Whether an old friend or interested customer, the Jet Stone team are always available to help or answer any questions or queries you may have.

WHOLESALE MONUMENTAL SUPPLIERS • Covers 32 Counties

• Nationwide delivery

Brochure Available On Request!

Now Stocking BLUE PEARL Jet Stone Limited, Blandsfort, Ballyroan, Co Laois

Telephone: 057 8730590 Fax: 057 8730520 Email: admin@jetstone.ie Web: www.jetstone.ie 58 | FuneralTimes

Creative Binding’s success continues Coming off the back of a strong 2017, Damian Flynn of Creative Binding Ltd looks back across the highlights of the year, including a fruitful two days presenting at the Funeral Times Trade Show, where he was thrilled to “generate some new business... as well as catching up with current customers”.

D

amian notes that following in-depth conversations at the show with many attendees of all professions and requirements, he was not surprised to see a significant lift in popularity in recent months for loose leaf binders, which caught the eye of many. “Aside from the staple products such as Condolence books and Branded bags, our loose leaf binders were the subject of significant interest and conversation. They are highly practical and allow the funeral director, or whoever utilises it, to collect loose pages from different locations and accumulate them neatly into a

beautifully presented, smart folder.”

Creative Binding Ltd aim is to provide an affordable solution across the funeral industry. With a dedicated approach to constantly expanding and refining their product range, it is rare to speak to Damian and not discover an interesting, innovative new product in the works!

For any enquiries, please contact Damian at Creative Binding Solutions Tel/Fax: (01) 6251924 or Mob: 087 9861352 or via www.creativebinder.com or www. condolencebooks.ie

e Availablle r e th o in colourss

www.creativebinder.com FuneralTimes | 59

Locum Service • Experienced Funeral Director with over 35 years in the industry

• Available for holiday relief cover: Weeks, Weekends, Days, as required • Centrally located • Will cover all of Ireland For more information, contact: Tel.

087 3651709

BIE News Ireland Division W

ell it’s the beginning of another new year and I would like to wish all our members and students the very best of success in 2018. We had our AGM and first divisional meeting on Sunday, January 21st and I think a special thanks should go to Aidan Walsh for allowing us use of his very beautiful funeral home for this purpose.

The Division has decided this year not to hold an educational weekend but we will be hosting one in 2019. All details will be given early next year. We are, however, looking 60 | FuneralTimes

forward to joining our friends in the Northern Irish Division for an educational day in October.

This will be another historic year for the division and in particular Barbara Fowley who sees herself joining the ranks of National Presidents in April. Congratulations Barbara.

So another quiet but exciting year ahead and we hope to welcome more members and students over the coming months. Regards and Well Wishes to all

Cyril Gantley

List of BIE Officers and appointed representatives for 2017/2018 National President: Amanda Woodward Imm. Past President: Gwen Schofield National PRO & National General Secretary: Mrs Karen Caney FBIE White Meadow Cottage, Brailsford, Derby DE6 3DA Tel: 01332 349035(BIE) Mobile: 07786 432014 karencaney@btopenworld.com National Treasurer: Michael Liddle MBIE 10 Yew Tree Close, Silsoe MK45 4EQ Business Tel: 01582 490005 Home Tel: 01525 860117 michael@silsloe.wanadoo.co.uk Editor: Gwen Schofield MBIE 9 Seymour Walk, Meltham, Holmfirth HD9 4BP Home Tel: 01484 851994 Mobile: 07778 279100 gwen.schofield@ntlworld.com Master Fellow: Anthony Williams-Price Tel : 01443 830 328 Student Liaison Officer: Lizzy Bollington-Kinch Anubis House, 21c Station Road, Knowle, Solihull B93 0HL, Tel: 01564 778 991

IRISH DIVISION Chairman Mr.Cyril Gantley MBIE 336 Kildare Road, Crumlin, Dublin 12 Mobile:00353 857671582 cyril.gantley@mortuary-science.ie Vice Chairman Mr.Shane Casey MBIE Gortnabinna, Ballingeary, Macroom, Co.Cork.

Mobile: 00353 860744117 info@caseyfunerals.ie Secretary Susan Moran MBIE Maydown House, Aughraboura, Athy, Co.Kildare.

Mobile: 00353 860619500 moransfuneralservices@gmail.com National Council Rep Mr.John Hawe MBIE 12 Meadow Vale, Smith’s Road, Charleville, Co.Cork Mobile: 00353 876390087 jmhawe@eircom.net 2nd National Council Rep and Educational Rep Pamela Murphy MBIE 14 Parknasillogue Court, Enniskerry, Co.Wicklow Mobile:00353 857415421

NORTHERN IRELAND DIVISION Chairman Laurence O'Neill 98 Stewartstown Road Belfast BT11 9JP Tele: 028 90 620099 Email: oneill8210@hotmail.com Treasurer Andrew McMullan MBIE 22 High Street, Ballymoney, Co. Antrim BT53 6AQ Andrew@mcmullanfuneral.com 1st National Council Representative Ellison Sloan MBIE Telephone: 02838 336175 poots@fsni.info 2nd National Council Representative Laurence O'Neill 98 Stewartstown Road Belfast BT11 9JP Tele: 028 90 620099 Email: oneill8210@hotmail.com 1st National Educational Committee Representative Pat Harley MBIE 67 Creggan Road, Londonderry BT48 9DA Mobile: 077128 99137

Phschoolofembalming@hotmail.com

Treasurer Mrs Anna O’Reilly MBIE Church Street, Newmarket, Co.Cork Tel:02960142 annaoreilly4@hotmail.com

FuneralTimes | 61

A new delivery from Byrne Coachbuilders P

owers Funeral Directors are the first Undertakers to take delivery of the new Deacon Hearse for 2018.

Martin ordered the vehicle in November 2017 for delivery in January 2018. Here at Byrne Coachbuilders we would like to wish every success to Powers Funeral Directors in the future and also like to thank them for their continued custom.

Pearson Repatriation Service (UK) ! SMALL INDEPENDENT FAMILY RUN COMPANY OFFERING A FAST AND RELIABLE SERVICE HOURS A DAY

As part of our service to you, we can: s 2EPATRIATE THE DECEASED FROM THE 5+ s 0ROVIDE A COFlN AND INTERIOR s 0ROVIDE EMBALMING SERVICES

Telephone +44 (0)1484 844289 Proprietor Clive J Pearson LMBIFD. DIP.FD. MBIE -ANCHESTER 2OAD -ARSDEN (UDDERSlELD 7EST 9ORKSHIRE 5+ ($ %9 62 | FuneralTimes

Post Funeral Receptions at

GLASNEVIN CEMETERY Post funeral receptions offer guests and family members a chance to spend time together and remember their departed loved one in a comfortable environment with friends and family.

Glasnevin Cemetery has the unique ability to offer a variety of post funeral receptions in the Milestone Gallery in the Museum building in Glasnevin Cemetery.

Our onsite catering partners With Taste have a variety ough of menus thethat can be tailor made to meet all culinary and budgetary requirements.

h

We can provide a full 3 course lunch to a smaller light lunch depending on your needs and requirements on the day.

Our services can be booked through the funeral undertaker or direct with the caterers on site.

For enquiries contact Karolina in With Taste (086) 3582930, email info@withtaste.ie, Glasnevin Cemetery (01) 8826500, email bookings@glasnevintrust.ie or your Funeral Director.

FuneralTimes | 63

Cardinal and Dorchester for JP Springthorpe & Co Ltd J

P Springthorpe & Co Ltd have been serving the Ashby de la Zouch area for almost 30 years; established in 1989 by John Springthorpe they have a strong reputation for providing an outstanding service and great attention to detail.

JP Springthorpe have been operating Coleman Milne fleets for years with this being their 5th delivery. The Ford Dorchester and Cardinal MK11 matching hearse and Limousine have been two of Coleman Milne's most successful models; these classic vehicles offer under deck storage and adorning wreath rail as well as premium comfort for passengers.

Director Richard Martin said: “We have a good, long relationship with Coleman Milne and their cars have proven to be well designed and built.”

Stacey Moore delivers pair of MK11’s to Richard Martin.

Coleman Milne would like to thank JP Springthorpe for their continued loyalty and hope they will be very happy with their new fleet.

G & H Seamer take first Coleman Milne fleet Independent Funeral Directors G&H Seamer recently took delivery of their first Coleman Milne Fleet.

The family run company which is in its 4th generation had an urgent need for a hearse and Limousine and a deadline for delivery. After a factory tour of the Westhoughton facilities the order was made for a Mercedes E213 Classic Hearse and matching Limousine.

The Hearse and limousine Jim Seamer and his grandson Tom of G&H Seamer in Sandy, were launched in 2017 and Bedfordshire. have received positive feedback deadline for when we needed them. After for their classic styling, and sophisticated our visit to the factory we were confident interior.

Coleman Milne could deliver the quality we Jim Seamer said “We liked the look of the needed and meet out timeframe”. new Mercedes model but we also had a 64 | FuneralTimes

Where do you find the words?

A

lmost all civil funeral services have in them at some point a spoken tribute, sometimes delivered by the family, others by the celebrant.

Frequently, spoken tributes at a civil funeral service form the centrepiece of the service and while it may seem that they flow seamlessly, in actual fact a lot of time and effort goes into preparing a tribute.

Tributes may be delivered by family members or friends or often, if emotions are running high and it feels too difficult, the celebrant will stand in and speak for those left behind.

Mary Elizabeth Dillon of Civil Funerals Ireland has often done this and shares the following thoughts.

Sometimes a person feels strongly that they want to speak but when the day approaches and reality sinks in it is just too difficult. In such a case as a celebrant Mary Elizabeth steps in, ‘I would try to take the words written by the person and put them together into a fitting tribute, I would always say I am speaking on behalf of the person and that the voice is mine but the words are their own.’

In guiding a family she always recommends that the family give her the biographical

details of the deceased which she can use to introduce the service and try to speak themselves about their memories and their feelings.

Many people ask how long should a tribute be. This is largely guided by the length of time booked at the crematorium or by other elements of the service but Mary Elizabeth says the best tributes are the ones which come from the heart, which express true feelings and give a real impression of the deceased, the ones which make you smile through your tears.

Often asked for advice as to how to put together a tribute, Mary Elizabeth recommends the following: ‘Say what you loved about the person, say what you will miss most about them and say what they did that drove you mad.’ If you do that you will have a tribute which covers a lot in a short space of time and should help you to raise a smile. She also says the following, ‘don’t try to cover an entire lifetime in your tribute, select a few things that sum up what your loved one was all about and be honest but not critically honest.’

Sound advice which many would be wise to follow.

Civil Funerals Ireland Simple, unique, personal funeral services

• An alternative to the traditional • Celebrating Life • Reflecting the wishes and beliefs of the deceased and their loved ones • Provides an opportunity to pay a fitting tribute • Any suitable venue can be used

Mary Elizabeth Dillon is available between 9am - 11pm 7 days a week Tel ROI: 0402 91273 / Mobile: 087 957 4476 Email: info@civilfuneralsireland.com

Funerals conducted throughout Ireland

FuneralTimes | 65

New web cam service A

t Lakelands crematorium we always like to make the passing of a loved one a very personal service and a stress free one at that, where we provide a warm welcome to our families.

Unfortunately, it is not always easy for a family to make the journey home to be with other family members at this sad time of a loved one’s death. To help family who can’t be at ‘home’ we have installed a web camera which can be live streamed to anywhere in the world. To keep this private, the family will be given a password and only they can see the service.

We strive to provide a good service in everything that we do. A small part of this is simply keeping up with the times. With this in mind, we now also can offer a large screen photo of your loved one and a slideshow with the use of a memory stick.

A place for lasting memories The past few decades have seen a dramatic shift in practice from burials to cremations. The challenge of memorialising a cremated loved one remains a challenge.

Lakelands Crematorium now offers beautifully presented Memorial Trees robust, yet elegantly shaped ‘trees’ providing new ways of remembering deceased loved ones. Relatives will have a special place where they can remember their loved one.

Made of beautiful material A memorial tree made of apposite brown weathering corten steel is a unique contemporary object for our crematorium.

Remembrance leaves The name, birth date and death date of the deceased is etched into a metal remembrance leaf, which is then fixed to a Memorial Tree branch.

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

Memorial Memoria aall Keepsakes es We also have a large supply of urns, casks es. and keepsakes.

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

HEARSES, REHEARSALS AND HEAVY CORPSES

By Mattie Lennon I was recently at a funeral in Kerry. The deceased was an elderly woman who hadn’t ever married. I can’t vouch for the veracity of the following but one of the mourners told me she requested no male pallbearers. In her handwritten instructions for her memorial service, she wrote, “They wouldn’t take me out while I was alive, I don’t want them to take me out when I’m dead.”

I don’t know if that is fact or fiction but… the undertaker did leave the keys in the ignition of the hearse outside the funeral parlour. A couple of “under-nines” were playing in the vicinity and when the coffin was placed in the hearse the keys were missing and could not be found.

While we were waiting for a replacement to arrive from Tralee, 40 miles away, a Kilgarvan man said to me “You could write a play about this.” I expressed a hope that he didn’t expect me to write a drama on the subject and he let me know that he meant that a play could be written about it. He also told me about an undertaker in north Kerry, (I can’t remember if it was Listowel or Lixnaw) who used to also do wedding-cars. He decided to adapt the “Just Married” sign to “Just Buried” and used it on the back of his hearse when returning from a burial.

Being in the heart of amateur drama country the conversation soon reverted to plays and rehearsals. “Speaking about rehearsals and hearses,“ says the Kilgarvan man, “do you know where the word hearse and rehearse come from?”

When I answered in the negative he went on,“ It comes from Middle English: from 68 | FuneralTimes

Anglo-Norman French herce ‘harrow, frame’, from Latin hirpex ‘a kind of large rake’. The earliest record of the word in English in the sense that we know it meant the latticework canopy placed over the coffin (whilst in church) of a distinguished person, and it probably arose from the late Middle English sense ‘triangular frame (shaped like the ancient harrow) for carrying candles at certain services’. The word, originally spelled herse, comes from the Latin hirpicem, which was a large rake. Eventually hearse came to mean the structure constructed over or around a coffin, and its modern sense, of a vehicle used during a funeral procession, pops up in the mid 17th century. The word rehearse is distantly related to hearse, for rehearse etymologically means “reharrow”, or, metaphorically, to “go over again”. It was not until the late 16th century that the word came to refer to practicing a play, scene or part in private before a public appearance.” The Kilgarvan man was just starting to describe a line from A Midsummer Night’s Dream when the replacement hearse arrived from Tralee.

And speaking of Kerry. It’s the 2015 All-Ireland football final between Kerry and Dublin (Dublin won). My friend John is a steward in Croke Park and, five minutes into the game, with his eagle eye, he notices a vacant seat on the Hogan stand amid a sea of green and gold. He makes his way over and asks the man in the adjoining seat, who was from Ballinskelligs, about the empty seat and if there will be somebody sitting there…

“No” says the man, “The seat is empty.”

“This is incredible,” said John, “Who in their right mind would have a seat like this for the All-Ireland and not use it?”

The man says, “Well, actually, the seat belongs to me. I was supposed to come with my wife, but she passed away. This is the first All- Ireland final we haven’t

been to together since we got married.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that”, says John, “ That’s terrible... But couldn’t you find someone else, a friend or relative, or even a neighbour to take the seat?”

The man shakes his head. “No,” he says.

“They’re all at the funeral.”

It’s not that long ago, on this island, since a big belly and an extra halfhundredweight or so was a sign of affluence and was a sort of status symbol.

Author and journalist Billy Keane points out that one of the greatest tributes that could be paid to a deceased male was, “There were eight strong men under his coffin.”

The next time you feel like complaining about the trials and tribulations of being a Funeral Director remember that as far back as seven hundred years ago Pope Boniface VIII tried to ease your burden. He published a Bill forbidding the dismemberment and boiling of Crusaders’ bodies so that they might be brought home more easily.

Seanin, was in the hospital on his death bed. The family called Father O’Sullivan to be with him in his final moments. As the Priest stood by the bed, Seanin’s condition seemed to deteriorate, and he motioned for someone to quickly pass him a pen and paper. The Priest quickly got a pen and paper and lovingly handed it to Seanin. But before he had a chance to read the note, Seanin died.

The Priest, feeling that now wasn’t the right time to read it, put the note in his jacket pocket. It was at the funeral

while speaking that the Priest suddenly remembered the note. Reaching deep into his pocket the Priest said, “And you know what, I suddenly remembered that right before Seanin died he handed me a note, and knowing Seanin, a Godfearing man with a philosophical turn of mind, I’m sure it was something inspiring that we can all gain from.

With that introduction the Priest took out the note and opened it.

The note said, “HEY, YOU ARE STANDING ON MY OXYGEN TUBE!”

Funeral Times is delivered FREE of charge to all Funeral Directors and Principals of associated businesses throughout Ireland, North and South.

If you know of anyone who should receive a copy but currently does not, please let us know. The more Funeral Directors on our mailing list, the bigger your audience!

Please send details to: Funeral Times, Inhouse Publications, 1 Annagh Drive, Carn Industrial Estate, Craigavon, Co. Armagh BT63 5WF or simply email details to: sales@funeraltimes.com FuneralTimes | 69

Nathan Brundish and Stacey Moore

Brundish and Son selects silver fleet B rundish and Son Funeral Directors have taken delivery of their third Coleman Milne fleet; a Ford Mk11 hearse and coupling limousines in their signature silver.

2018 will be something of a special year for the family run business as they reach an incredible milestone and celebrate their quasquicentennial (125 year anniversary!!)

The success of Brundish and Son can be put down to the consistent care and dedication with which they serve their community.

Nathan Brundish (pictured) took over the running of the business when his father, Owen, retired 7 years ago and has continued to maintain the high standards their clients

have come to expect.

Nathan said:“Coleman Milne share the same values that we do; Quality and Service from start to finish. It’s what we’ve built our reputation on and Coleman Milne vehicles mean we can offer comfort and class to our customers.”

The hearse and limousines come equipped with parking sensors, Bluetooth and climate control and have been finished in warmcharcoal leather seats.

Coleman Milne would like to offer congratulations to Brundish and Son Funeral Directors on their upcoming 125th Anniversary, what a fantastic achievement!

Ford Fleet addition for Ewing Funeral Service

S

ince 1970 Ewing Funeral Service have been delivering care and support for the families of West Fife and Kinross-shire. Their reputation for providing dignified and flexible funerals was established by their founder, the late John Ewing and continues to flourish in the hands of the family partnership.

John’s daughter, Margaret Dow, took delivery of their newest fleet addition; Ford Grand Torneo which will operate as a removal vehicle. The Z-Fold deck allows it to work as a multi-functional vehicle with the option to have rear seats or a full deck. This modern conversion joins a Norwood classic hearse which was added to the Ewing fleet only last year.

Margaret said:“We have maintained a good relationship with Coleman Milne and after having such a positive reaction to the 70 | FuneralTimes

Coleman Milne’s Tony Kerr with Margaret Dow Norwood hearse we were happy to return for our new removal vehicle.”

The fully-tested and type-approved removal vehicle features Sat Nav, Bluetooth and a truly versatile, quick-release removable solution.

Includes: • Heavy duty frame • Roof • 4x full walls • Wheeled bag • Straps and pegs

€395 +VAT

PRINTED

575 +VAT

€

Available sizes: 2m x 2m, 3m x 3m, 3m x 4.5m and 3m x 6m 01 9061888 (Ire) sales@poptents.eu

0333 444 0024 (UK) www.poptents.eu

125 Moore Street, Aughnacloy, Tyrone

Asian funerals go green, at Hong Kong trade fair D

eath may be inevitable but it doesn’t have to harm the environment.

Paper caskets and wicker coffins were among the offerings on display at a recent Hong Kong funeral industry trade show which highlighted a notable trend toward “green burials” in an industry which grows day by day alongside Asia’s rapidly ageing population.

Chinese businessman Alex Sun’s company, Shandong Ecoffin International, which manufactures wicker and seagrass coffins, initially became popular in the West before catching on in Asia. Basket-weaving in fact dates to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) in northeast China’s Shandong province, where Ecocoffin uses fast-growing willow reeds to make caskets representing an eco-friendly alternative to wood.

The mood was bright with an attendance comprised of coffin makers, morticians, funeral home operators and entrepreneurs at the Asia Funeral and Cemetery Expo & Conference. Exhibitors displayed caskets for pets, Italian hearses, German cremators with cutting-edge filters and Japanese mobile embalming units.

China’s Truthkobo Jewelry were present, offering pendants made with ashes from deceased relatives or pets while Shenyang Roundfin sought international distributors

72 | FuneralTimes

for its autopsy tables, morgue fridges and body bags.

While the death industry may be a lucrative market worldwide, Asia’s aging population is projected to hit 923 million by midcentury, according to the Asian Development Bank.

This places the region firmly on track to become the oldest in the world.

In line with this, the accompanying funeral services market has been growing steadily and is now worth about $62.6 billion a year, with China accounting for nearly half of that, according to data from Euromonitor.

Under Mao Zedong, who ruled China until his death in 1976, elaborate funerals were officially condemned as feudal superstition and became unpopular, despite persisting in rural areas. Such rituals have seen a revival in recent years as the economy boomed, as the newly rich use lavish funeral rites to show off their social status and the accumulation of wealth.

The prospect of lucrative investments drew investors from outside the industry to the fair. Piyanuch Wattanasiritananwong for example came from Thailand from a property background after hearing about the show from a contact.

“We want to know what opportunities there are in this industry because everybody dies,” she said.

W

Funeral Director’s Lodge make charitable donation

W M

any of you may know that Paul Wilcox, CEO of Wilcox Limousines is also a Freemason, having been a member for nearly 40 years.

Paul, The Master of Acacia Lodge, the Funeral Directors Lodge is seen here donating £5,000 to the Metropolitan Grand Lodge tercentenary appeal, the donation was received by the Metropolitan Grand Charity Steward, W. Bro. Tony Shields, who, in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster has decided to use the donation towards the cost of purchasing for the London Fire Brigade, two special Ariel Platforms, which will be capable of reaching 60 meters up to the 17th floor of tower blocks. The cost of these two appliances is about £2.5M. Acacia Lodge meets in St. James Street, London. Any persons connected with the funeral industry interested in learning more should contact via www.acacialodge. freemasons.london or twitter acacialodge@acacia3436 whether or not they are Masons.

Top selling ‘Wilcox’ hearsette® for A.J. Gascoigne & Son Funeral Directors A.J. Gascoigne & Son was commenced in 1986

by Alan and Hazel Gascoigne. Alan retired in 2013 and sadly passed away in 2014. His Son, Jeff, has carried on running the family business alongside Hazel. Jeff ’s wife, Lesley, has also recently joined the family concern.

The Funeral Home is located in Woodhorn Village, Ashington, Tyne and Wear. The

Jeff Gascoigne with his new Ford Tourneo Hearsette® from Wilcox Limousines Ltd.

business has been serving the families of Woodhorn, Ashington, and the surrounding areas for over 30 years.

A. J. Gascoigne & Son is one of very few Funeral Directors in the UK to open its own cemetery (Woodhorn Cemetery) which they did so in 1995. Professional Family Funeral Directors, they are members of NAFD, SAIF, BIFD and BIE. Jeff chose a high specification Ford Tourneo which included Satellite Navigation, DAB stereo, heated front seats, Bluetooth®, privacy glass, roof rails and alloy wheels.

The folding removable deck is one of the largest available at 46” wide at its narrowest point. The vehicle is also high enough to carry four coffins in.

Wilcox Limousines Ltd would like to thank Hazel, Jeff and Lesley for their continued business and wish them every success with their new Hearsette®.

FuneralTimes | 73

Mr Joe Grennan receiving his new Ford Deacon Hearse from Byrne Coachbuilders’ managing director Mr Peadar Byrne

A new delivery from Byrne Coachbuilders J

oe’s third hearse upgrade from Byrne Coachcraft.

After considering all other hearses on the market and all the advantages the Deacon has to offer, plus a test run to see how good the Deacon drives with its ground clearance and tight turning circle, Joe’s mind was made up.

From order to delivery was a six week turn around for conversion and left Mr Grennan

with a new Ford Deacon. The new interior is very modern and is easily kept, with no noise coming from the roof rails and all the mod cons such as lane assist, bluetooth and sat nav. These and lots more put the Deacon in a different class.

Byrne Coachbuilders wishes Mr Joe Grennan the very best of luck with his new Ford Deacon.

Tallon Mortuary y Specialists Professional, Confidential and Caring Services

School of Embalming Qualify for membership of an internationally recognised embalming qualification (BIE) at your own pace • The ‘Tallon Mortuary Specialists Sch School hooll of Embalming’ offers students and reg registered giste ered d embalmers the highest standards off so teaching and practice in a supportive ortiv ve environment, with full use of ourr training facility.

• We offer both Distance Learning g and attended courses leading to o membership of the British Institute of Embalmers For further information and to discuss how this course might work for you please contact us: 74 | 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

Classifieds... Classifieds... email your advert to: sales@funeraltimes.com

WHAT DOES YOUR ORDER OF SERVICE SAY ABOUT YOU? Our promise to you is simple • We will answer your calls 7 days a week - 52 weeks a year • We will deliver on time EVERY time Contact Graham or Richard for further details Telephone: (028/048) 3835 5060 Email: production@inhousepublications.com Bespoke Presentation Bags Range of Finishes and 100’s of Colours Available

FOR SALE 2002 MERCEDES

Branded Quality design Our in-house design service can create your perfect presentation bag available in a range of finishes and 100’s of colours Call Adrienne Peers for Quotations & Samples

Canfly Marketing T: (00353)87-7147027

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• Automatic petrol • Duffy built • Under deck side door • Excellent condition

PRICE ON APPLICATION For more information please contact John on T:086 3447740 FuneralTimes | 75

Classifieds... Classifieds... email your advert to: sales@funeraltimes.com

FOR SALE MERCEDES E CLASS HEARSE

Aidan Walsh & Sons Funeral Directors Applications are invited for the

PRINCIPAL FUNERAL DIRECTOR /EMBALMER

to join our small, busy team on a permanent basis.

• 2000 • 240 Petrol • Automatic • 85,000 miles • Good condition PRICE €8,000 ONO For more information please contact T:086 8199643 or T:086 2444452

Embalmer REQUIRED Busy Co. Armagh Funeral Directors Require Qualified Embalmer Please forward CV and cover letter outlining experience and interest.

Quote PO BOX No. 0318

c/o Funeral Times, 1 Annagh Drive, Carn Industrial Estate, Craigavon, Co. Armagh BT63 5WF or Email: sales@funeraltimes.com 76 | FuneralTimes

The role will encompass all aspects of funeral directing, assisting the operations of funeral directing in co-ordinating removals and supervise, arrange and conduct all aspects of funerals, always acting with discretion and professionalism, as you put our clients wishes at the heart of everything you do.

Qualified embalmer must possess degree from accredited Mortuary School or College.

Must hold a clean drivers licence.

Any other duties assigned by the employer. Flexible approach to working hours is essential and will include night, weekend and bank holiday rotas.

Online applications to: aidanwalshandsons@gmail.com To apply please send CV with a hand written cover letter to: Aidan Walsh & Sons Funeral Directors, Castle Street, Cappoquin, Co,Waterford, Ireland

For Sale Established Family Undertakers Business and Funeral Home (Midlands)

• Owner Retiring

For further details send contact information to Funeral Times PO Box 0118 c/o Funeral Times, 1 Annagh Drive, Carn Industrial Estate, Craigavon, Co. Armagh BT63 5WF or Email: sales@funeraltimes.com Quote PO Box No. 0118

Classifieds... Classifieds... email your advert to: sales@funeraltimes.com

FOR SALE 1994 FORD CARDINAL

• Automatic 2.9 petrol • 63.5k miles • New tyres • Paint work perfect PRICE €2,100 For more information please contact T:00353 (0)87 2836953

For Sale - HEARSE & LIMOUSINE 2007 MERCEDES HEARSE 2005 MERCEDES LIMOUSINE

• • • •

Coleman Milne Built • Coleman Milne Built E220CDI • October 2007 • E270CDI Auto • August 2005 Full Service History • Full Service History.

Approx Mileage 35,000 • Approx Mileage 12,000 £49,950 ONO FOR THE PAIR Dominick Healy & Sons Ltd and Healy Bros, Belfast CONTACT TOM OR SEAN Dominick Healy T: 028 9032 6848 Healy Bros T: 028 9030 9333 or Mob :07920 187200

FuneralTimes | 77

Classifieds... Classifieds... email your advert to: sales@funeraltimes.com

Matthew L. Jones FUNERAL REPATRIATION SERVICE • South Wales based • 24 Hour removal & repatriation service • Long & short distance throughout UK & Ireland • Inclusive of airports & ferry ports • B.I.E qualified embalming service • Also Hearse & Limousine hire available

Mobile: 07815 866652 Tel: 01267 236787 (24hrs) email: info@mljfs.co.uk www.matthewljonesfuneralservices.co.uk

Funeral Business WANTED Any location in Ireland considered.

Send contact information.

Embalmer REQUIRED Based in North Dublin.

Please forward CV and cover letter outlining experience and interest.

Quote PO BOX No. 0218

c/o Funeral Times, 1 Annagh Drive, Carn Industrial Estate, Craigavon, Co. Armagh BT63 5WF or Email: sales@funeraltimes.com 78 | FuneralTimes

FOR SALE MERCEDED-BENZ E200

• 3 door Duffy built • Reg 2001 - D • 108,000 miles • NCT to 25th September 2019 • Good condition PRICE ON APPLICATION For more information please contact Liam (anytime) T:(00353) 087 2498407

FOR SALE • Coffin Trolley with cover €800 • EPSON Perfection 1250 Scanner €20 • Morning Irelands Print a Plate system, Laser Printer LBP60300 and 8 (6”x8”) coffin plates, gold €200 • Large Cross, (height 4’4”x3’2”) €150 • 8 Steel framed, red cushioned chairs

€70 each • Body Bag, adult size (221cm x107cm) mat and straps in case €100

Please contact Tom Kelleher

T: 087 914 2156

Classifieds... Classifieds...

email your advert to: sales@funeraltimes.com

Belfast Funeral Director Business requires a

Fully Qualified Embalmer With at least 1 year’s experience in the industry.

Please send details and C.V. to: PO Box 0418 c/o Funeral Times, 1 Annagh Drive, Carn Industrial Estate, Craigavon, Co. Armagh BT63 5WF or email: sales@funeraltimes.com CLOSING DATE: 30th April 2018

PATRICK RYAN & DAUGHTER FUNERAL DIRECTORS SPECIALISING IN REPATRIATION TO ALL PARTS OF IRELAND

TEL: 020 8567 1664 FAX: 020 8566 4795 6 South Ealing Road, London W5 4QA Email: office@pryanfunerals.com Website: PATRICK-RYAN.CO.UK COVERING LONDON AND THE HOME COUNTIES

FOR SALE 2012 MERCEDES E CLASS 280 HEARSE RAPPOLD DE A ED TR IN ER D SI N CO

• Mint condition • Auto low line single deck • Side doors • 18,000 miles • Diesel • Automatic • 3.0 litre PRICE ON APPLICATION For more information please contact Aidan Walsh on T: 087 2847831 or 058 52788 FuneralTimes | 79

Launching the New Wilcox Jaguar XF 3 Door Hearse

A stylish new addition to this prestigious range of funeral vehicles

6SHFLĂ&#x20AC;FDWLRQ The new Wilcox 3 door Jaguar XF Hearse available now.

Optional glass roof, offering greater visibility and light.

2 year warranty Jaguar approved convertor British designed and built Exceptional Value For Money

www.limousines.co.uk

Head Office

+44 (0) 1753 480 600 enquiries@wilcoxlims.co.uk