Funeral Costs

Up Donegal · 10-08-2016 12:09pm #1

I just want to say that I believe that it is time that some regulation was introduced into the funeral industry. The Irish Funeral Directors Association has a code of conduct which its members must adhere to, but other funeral directors who are not members are, therefore, not regulated. I believe that bereaved families are being taken advantage of financially when their loved ones die. Can anybody tell me if embalming is compulsory because I have heard of cases where the family has been told that embalming HAS to be carried out, obviously at a cost, and that they had no choice in the matter.
The embalming procedure, when carried out properly, enhances the presentation of the deceased and can provide a source of comfort and acceptance to the families. But I also believe that if it’s not compulsory, then the bereaved families should be given the option of having the deceased embalmed rather than having it forced upon them. Another high cost is that of having the death announced on local radio stations. I contacted a few radio stations in my area and, so far, only one has told me what it costs; (€150 including V.A.T). I received a reply from another station stating that they only discuss these costs with funeral directors.
These things, along with the cost of the coffin, graveyard fees, etc make the cost of a funeral very expensive.
Does anybody have any other views on this??

Taltos · 10-08-2016 1:13pm

Mod note
Moved here after some discussion with mods/admin. Appears to be the most appropriate forum.
For anyone who has followed this thread in please read the local charter.

davo10 · 10-08-2016 1:38pm

The costs of funerals have always been relatively expensive and is a worry for the elderly, however, I would assume it is also a relatively costly service to provide as making a coffin is a skilled and time consuming process. Plots cost money, as do funeral homes and staff. I would assume the grave surround and headstone is a matter of choice for the family.

Regarding embalming, this would seem to depend on whether the family want an open coffin at the funeral home for family and friends to pay their aspects. From their website, 90%+ of bodies are embalmed, I suppose an accident may dictate that the coffin is not open and therefore embalming may not be necessary. Also, if there has been a long illness, the embalmers use great skill to improve the appearance of the deceased to something resembling them in their healthy state.

snubbleste · 10-08-2016 1:45pm

A bare bones funeral would be €2k, average €5k
The main costs
the funeral director’s professional fee for arranging the funeral;
preparation of the remains;
a coffin;
transport – hearse and other cars;
third-party costs, such as celebrant, other church related costs, grave/grave opening, cremation, funeral notices in newspapers, singers for the ceremony (if the family wishes), printing of Mass/service booklets (again, if the family wishes) and flowers.
the actual burial plot and headstone.

minikin · 10-08-2016 3:58pm

A bare bones funeral would be €2k

Poor choice of words!

Guy:Incognito · 10-08-2016 4:25pm

Annoucing the death on the radio? Ive never heard a death, outside of celebrity or as part of the news, announced on the radio.

fg1406 · 10-08-2016 4:31pm

Local radio stations do the "death notices" usually twice a day.

L1011 · 10-08-2016 4:31pm

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

Annoucing the death on the radio? Ive never heard a death, outside of celebrity or as part of the news, announced on the radio.

You live in Dublin.

Its done everywhere else in Ireland *except* Dublin - and I'm actually amazed one of the smaller stations like Sunshine hasn't started. Its fairly big business for the radio stations - some even have have 1550 numbers where the ghoulier grannies can phone up if they missed it to see who's popped it.

coylemj · 10-08-2016 4:59pm

L1011 wrote: »

You live in Dublin.

+1 it's an aspect of country life that most Dubs aren't aware of. When I'm driving down the country, I retune the car radio as I go and you can hear them on all the country stations. I just checked the websites of Midlands 103 and Radio Kerry, they don't have the reading of the death notices listed in their schedules but you can be sure that all of the old biddies know when their local station broadcasts the notices.

It usually involves an older man or woman slowly and solemnly reading the same format death notice as you'd see in the newspaper, often with appropriate (to some) funerary music in the background. At the end (as if they hadn't made enough money out if it already), they inform their listeners that you can phone a premium rate (155x) number to listen to a playback of the readings.

One aspect of the practice that I object to is that they are often introduced as a 'public service announcement' - as if it was a free noticeboard for local social and sports clubs when everyone knows that they make a tidy sum out of reading death notices.

Del2005 · 10-08-2016 5:03pm

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

Annoucing the death on the radio? Ive never heard a death, outside of celebrity or as part of the news, announced on the radio.

People listen to the deaths on the radio every morning to make sure they're still alive. It's one sure way to get given out to by speaking during the deaths.

coylemj · 10-08-2016 5:13pm

Up Donegal wrote: »

I just want to say that I believe that it is time that some regulation was introduced into the funeral industry.

Would you care to mention a single business sector where the government introduced regulation which resulted in reduced prices for consumers?

Regulation nowadays involves setting up a new authority (aka a 'quango') which will cover it's costs by imposing a levy on existing practitioners. This often has the effect of driving the smaller guys out of the business which in country areas would severely reduce choice and competition.

It's a general rule that applies to most forms of commerce - when the government steps in and regulates a business sector, costs go up. Just look at the cost of childcare in Ireland if you need an example of what happens to a sector when the government imposes wall to wall regulation.

dasa29 · 10-08-2016 7:16pm

coylemj wrote: »

+1 it's an aspect of country life that most Dubs aren't aware of. When I'm driving down the country, I retune the car radio as I go and you can hear them on all the country stations. I just checked the websites of Midlands 103 and Radio Kerry, they don't have the reading of the death notices listed in their schedules but you can be sure that all of the old biddies know when their local station broadcasts the notices.

While it's true midlands 103 doesn't have the reading of the death notices listed in their schedules, if you open the Obituaries page it shows the times they are broadcast.

byhookorbycrook · 10-08-2016 7:24pm

Radio Kerry certainly does read death notices, the MIL plans her social life around funerals through it! And we get regular calls from her to check some details on rip.ie if she missed them.

Why do you think this t-shirt is such a success?!
http://www.hairybaby.com/the-death-notices?___store=default&nosto=nosto-page-search1

Gooser14 · 10-08-2016 7:50pm

Limerick 95fm, Tipp FM & Clare FM also read the obituary notices.

dudara · 10-08-2016 7:55pm

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

Annoucing the death on the radio? Ive never heard a death, outside of celebrity or as part of the news, announced on the radio.

Listening to the "fógraí" on RnaG is part of my mother's daily routine. My grandmother was obsessed with death notices. When I got my first driving license, I was roped into the regular funeral visiting routine with her

10-08-2016 7:59pm

L1011 wrote: »

You live in Dublin.

Its done everywhere else in Ireland *except* Dublin.......

And some other Irish cities.

byhookorbycrook · 10-08-2016 8:06pm

dudara wrote: »

Listening to the "fógraí" on RnaG is part of my mother's daily routine. My grandmother was obsessed with death notices. When I got my first driving license, I was roped into the regular funeral visiting routine with her

We get the "Someone should go to that funeral" line if it's one she doesn't fancy (or has a "better" one lined up) I think it's a social thing but also a fear in older people that if they don't go to funerals, no one will go to theirs.

My mother's funeral cost about €4,000 all-in, but as my father pre-deceased her, there was a burial plot and headstone.

I have to say that it was worth every cent.The funeral director was a neighbour of hers and his wife laid her out, just as she would have wanted, no gaudy make up etc as I have seen on some corpses. He organized every single thing, all we had to do was sort the readers. He even organized the pall bearers (having checked with me) to ensure the various family groups were represented. We didn't want to have a formal meal it- as there was no place in her town, so he suggested we use a local pub and have food there- again, he organized this , having checked with me. It made a very difficult time less stressful.

L1011 · 10-08-2016 8:13pm

Augeo wrote: »

And some other Irish cities.

They all have one station that does it. C103, Galway Bay, WLR, Live95

10-08-2016 9:16pm

L1011 wrote: »

They all have one station that does it. C103.......

C103 is/was County sound, it's a station for country folk.

coylemj · 10-08-2016 10:30pm

dasa29 wrote: »

While it's true midlands 103 doesn't have the reading of the death notices listed in their schedules, if you open the Obituaries page it shows the times they are broadcast.

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

Radio Kerry certainly does read death notices, the MIL plans her social life around funerals through it!

The point I was making was that while I couldn't find the reading of death notices listed in those (picked at random) stations' schedules, the local ghouls all knew exactly when they were broadcast.

I don't care when Midlands 103 broadcasts them and I never said that Radio Kerry does not broadcast them.

L1011 · 11-08-2016 9:15am

Augeo wrote: »

C103 is/was County sound, it's a station for country folk.

Doesn't stop it being licenced for, received in and listened to in the city.

No station licenced for Dublin does them, whereas a station licenced for every other part of the state does.

dudara · 11-08-2016 9:37am

Posters - while I admit that I enjoyed the reminiscing about the radio station death notices, it is not answering the OP's questions

Let's get back on topic please

dudara

Fred Swanson · 11-08-2016 10:35am

This post has been deleted.

finbarrk · 11-08-2016 10:43am

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

Annoucing the death on the radio? Ive never heard a death, outside of celebrity or as part of the news, announced on the radio.

Jesus, where do you live? Part of everyday life in Ireland, listening to hear is there anyone we know dead.

witchgirl26 · 11-08-2016 10:53am

I always think it's funny that a lot of people don't have savings put aside for their family to deal with funeral costs. I mean it's the one thing that we all know will happen to us and whether you want a cremation or a burial, it will cost money.

Honestly having experienced it - I wouldn't underestimate undertakers ever again. They really just took care of everything for my family except the purchasing of the plot. That was probably one of the biggest expenses but it means there is a family plot now. People spend the same amount on getting a new kitchen etc but it's suddenly too much when it comes to a funeral? €10 a week for 10 years would give you a nice pot for a funeral. I get that in sudden death cases it's harder as sudden expense but I really don't see it as extortionate.

finbarrk - it doesn't happen on the radio in Dublin as far as I've heard. I know it from being in relatives down the country.

And that is not something I'd be paying for. I think a notice in the paper & rip.ie is enough these days.

D3V!L · 11-08-2016 10:55am

Fred Swanson wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Of course. I'm going to take it one step further and arrange my own. Should be a laugh.

Fred Swanson · 11-08-2016 11:08am

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witchgirl26 · 11-08-2016 11:21am

Fred Swanson wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

I would have thought similarly but we did for my dad & people saw it who we wouldn't have known to inform came to offer their sympathies and it was lovely. It's not that expensive in the grand scheme of things.

Padraig Mor · 11-08-2016 11:29am

davo10 wrote: »

Regarding embalming, this would seem to depend on whether the family want an open coffin at the funeral home for family and friends to pay their aspects. From their website, 90%+ of bodies are embalmed, I suppose an accident may dictate that the coffin is not open and therefore embalming may not be necessary. Also, if there has been a long illness, the embalmers use great skill to improve the appearance of the deceased to something resembling them in their healthy state.

I had always heard that embalming was rare in Ireland as the time between death and burial was so short, in contrast to, say, the UK, where it can easily be a week.

spurious · 11-08-2016 11:49am

Another avoidable expense is the 'Acknowledgements' notice that is often put in the paper thanking people who attended the funeral. If this is posted fairly soon after the funeral, I think within three weeks, it's much cheaper to post than if posted later than that.

Fred Swanson · 11-08-2016 11:57am

This post has been deleted.

keavebm · 11-08-2016 11:59am

davo10 wrote:

The costs of funerals have always been relatively expensive and is a worry for the elderly, however, I would assume it is also a relatively costly service to provide as making a coffin is a skilled and time consuming process. Plots cost money, as do funeral homes and staff. I would assume the grave surround and headstone is a matter of choice for the family.

Making a coffin isn't skilled. They are usually made out of the cheapest wood possible not like 20 years ago coffins were made to a high standard but now their like chipboard

L1011 · 11-08-2016 12:16pm

There's far eastern made "wooden" (MDF, coated) coffins from $55 on Alibaba. By the time you get charged in an undertakers here, after the middle men, duty, shipping etc - but most importantly their margin - that'll be at least 10x I'd imagine.

Cabaal · 11-08-2016 4:01pm

keavebm wrote: »

Making a coffin isn't skilled. They are usually made out of the cheapest wood possible not like 20 years ago coffins were made to a high standard but now their like chipboard

There's a massive selection of coffins, from wood, to cardboard (wood effect) to wicker etc. Also I believe the law changed a few years back, you can now bury somebody in a shroud

witchgirl26 · 11-08-2016 4:31pm

Fred Swanson wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

For the death notice? I know our undertaker didn't charge for sorting it out for us. Just included the exact amount (along with receipt from the papers) in our bill for everything.

coylemj · 11-08-2016 4:55pm

Cabaal wrote: »

There's a massive selection of coffins, from wood, to cardboard (wood effect) to wicker etc. Also I believe the law changed a few years back, you can now bury somebody in a shroud

All muslims are buried in a shroud so the coffin (if any) material is not a matter of regulation,

The law cares more about where you are buried (relative to the local water table) and at what depth. Provided you are buried in an approved burial place and the hole is deep enough, nobody cares what type of box or cloth they use.

lookyhere · 03-10-2016 7:38pm

I too wish there were some regulations in effect for the funeral industry. It's very difficult to find out what typical cost are supposed to be as typically people do not discuss what they paid. It seems to be taboo. And people are at their most vulnerable at the time and don't question anything ... happened to me a few months ago with funeral of a family member.

Undertaker said "we'll take care of everything" including offering to priest. Told me priest had a fixed charge of €350. I didn't argue but seemed odd as usually family give an offering directly to the priest. When arranging month's mind (something he told me he'd also take care of) found the priest had not been given anything. Also billed for choir - but longtime choir member says they never receive anything.

Metroid diorteM · 22-08-2021 5:40pm

This industry is a bloodsucking leech. Shroud or cardboard and no embalming. Can we get some competition here?

Who the hell has a few grand lying around these days?

I've let my next of kin know to go for the cheapest as possible for me but I wish the current generation of elderly would speak up as this is a painful and unnecessary burden for vulnerable people to face.

cml387 · 23-08-2021 10:36am

Appropriately, the thread has be disinterred

littlevillage · 23-08-2021 11:12am

I think any decent undertaker will give you a list of the costs upfront.....and cheaper options etc.

You can get a cheaper coffin, you don't need to bother with Radio death notice etc.

All in funeral is between €4-5k in Co. Galway.

Not including cemetry plot where price can vary wildly.

silver2020 · 23-08-2021 1:44pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117792015#Comment_117792015

I think the thread has risen from the dead!

Many funeral homes are family concerns and the skills are passed down though the generations. Its not just the embalming and coffin. It about the people from the funeral home too and how they manage all aspects of the funeral.

Whilst I'm sure there are no funeral directors on the breadline, they are also not known to have extravagant lifestyles.

as for the radio announcements - after the weather, "did you hear who died" is a very popular point of discussion in rural areas. And not having an immediate response would have the tongues wagging, hence it is essential listening for the gossips

coylemj · 23-08-2021 5:27pm

The OP said this in his first post....

The Irish Funeral Directors Association has a code of conduct which its members must adhere to, but other funeral directors who are not members are, therefore, not regulated.

Which is totally not correct. There is no regulation of the funeral trade in Ireland. Membership of a trade association may give the appearance of 'regulation' when it is no such thing.

Dial Hard · 23-08-2021 5:38pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117794006#Comment_117794006

Given he posted that five years ago, I very much doubt he cares.

whippet · 26-08-2021 11:11am

I buried my dad about two years ago and the cost was about €7k .. he was cremated rather than buried and that cost included a space in the columbarium wall.

The radio announcement was something i'd never considered - however it was announced locally and from where he was originally from (moved out 60 years previously!!) .. and the amount of people who contacted us after hearing the RIP notice from his hometown was very surprising and it was the only way they would have known about his passing. I found it really comforting having old school friends who hadn't seen him in decades pass on some really nice messages and little stories.

Funeral Costs

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