Burial & Cremation

A significant decision you need to make is whether your loved one is to be buried or cremated.

Burial

If you choose burial you will either need to re-open an existing grave or purchase a new grave. Family graves can usually accommodate at least three adult burials, depending on the cemetery.

When purchasing a new grave many cemeteries offer a choice of locations and prices, in which case we will arrange for the family to visit the cemetery to select a grave.

New graves are available for purchase in most Dublin City and County cemeteries, details of which are available here.

Whether you are purchasing a new grave or opening an existing one there will be an opening fee, of which our staff will advise you when making funeral arrangements.

Cremation

There is documentation to be completed before a cremation can take place – we will arrange all of this for you.

There are four crematoria in Dublin;

•  Dardistown
•  Glasnevin
•  Mount Jerome (Harold's Cross)
•  Newlands Cross

Each location has chapels where a cremation service can be held. The service is either a short committal service or a full service.

Committal Service

A committal service is conducted when there has been a church service or funeral Mass before arriving at the crematorium. The committal service lasts about 10 to 15 minutes and is conducted by a member of the clergy following a standard religious format, not dis-similar to what takes place at a cemetery burial. There is usually an option to play non-religious music at this type of service.

Full Service Funerals

A full service does not have a prior church service or funeral Mass and usually lasts about 40 minutes.
Full services can normally only be facilitated in the afternoon.  There are three types of full service;

• Full religious service - instead of using a church the family chooses to have a full religious service in the crematorium chapel. 
• Non-religious service - this is a service, without any religious content, designed by the family with the assistance of a civil celebrant or Humanist celebrant. The service will usually consist of music, eulogies, poems and words or remembrance.
  
• Civil Service – many families want a service which combines elements of the two above - some religious content coupled with their own choices of music, speeches, poems and words of remembrance.

In all cases we will arrange for a suitable celebrant who can facilitate, guide and assist with the ceremony.

Non Service Funerals

These are funerals that have no service at the crematorium. The deceased is taken directly for cremation.

Assistance in the selection of a final resting place for the ashes is outlined in our Post Funeral Section.