Funeral trends shift towards ceremonies and burials with a ‘personal touch’

Tastes of baby boomers are bringing about seismic changes in Ireland’s way of death

In England, a recent study found location requests received by funeral directors for services have included Hampton Court Palace, a betting shop, a castle, a farm, in woods, on a London bus, at an angling club, and in a cricket pavilion.

In Ireland, the director of pre-planning funeral service My Farewell Wishes, Colm Kieran, believes the shift in the generations reaching mortality is behind the biggest changes to Irish funeral ceremonies

“As it shifts down to the baby boomers, it’s causing a big change in people’s expectations in every sector, not just funerals,” said the Monaghan funeral director.

“You have to remember these people broke the social norms. They still would have been brought up in a very traditional background but were much more open to different ways of doing things.“