FAQ

We are almost never prepared for the emotional stress which surrounds the death of a loved one. It is at this time that you can feel lost and burdened with the stress of trying to find your way through processes when all you want to do is be with friends and family and grieve.

At Carroll and Fitzgerald we understand….

You need the services of professionals who can relate to what you are going through. Our professional experience is available to you to you to discreetly handle all the necessary funeral arrangements with understanding and compassion to support you at this time.

We will provide reassurance and advice to ensure that the smallest detail will be attended to and that every requirement will be carried out in a dignified manner.

Sudden deaths, wherever they occur, should be reported to An Garda Siochána, who in turn will refer the death to The Coroner, they will assess the facts surrounding the death and the Coroner may issue instructions for a post-mortem examination to take place. This is an examination carried out by a pathologist to establish the medical cause of death. When a post mortem is required there can be a delay of 1 to 2 days, this can sometimes be longer if the death happened at the weekend or bank holiday. In this case there is a delay before funeral arrangements can be considered.

When someone dies at home and the death was expected, if they were attended by their Doctor within the last 28 days then your initial call should be made to this doctor who will visit the home to confirm that death has occurred.

If calling the deceased's doctor out-of-hours you will probably be directed to contact the on-call service for a Locum Doctor to visit the home and confirm death has occurred. The following morning you should then contact the deceased's doctor and advise them that the death has occurred.

Once death has been confirmed you should contact us here at Carroll & Fitzgerald and we can assist you with making arrangements and advise on the process of registering the death

When someone dies in hospital, hospice or nursing home a doctor will be called by the nursing team to confirm that death has occurred. The doctor or hospital staff will advise the family if a post mortem examination will be required.

Once death has been confirmed you should contact us here at Carroll & Fitzgerald and we can assist you with making arrangements and advise on the process of registering the death.

 If the death occurred at home, the next of kin or nearest relative present at the death must register the death by bringing a Medical Certificate stating the cause of death to the appropriate Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages, usually within five days. The appropriate Registrar is determined by where the death took place, not where the deceased lived. The deceased's family doctor (GP) normally issues the medical certificate, but it can be any doctor. The hospital usually registers the death if the death happened in hospital. Deaths referred to the County or City Coroner are registered when the Registrar receives a certificate of the post-mortem examination or inquest from the Coroner.

In general families in Ireland arrange a funeral ceremony or service to celebrate the life of their loved one. This could be in the form of a religious ceremony to be held in a church or other place of worship, or it could be a civil ceremony held in a location that was special to the deceased person. The committal can take the form of burial or cremation.

This decision to have a burial or cremation is normally influenced by the wishes of the person who has died, family tradition or religious observance. The committal can take place as part of a funeral ceremony or separately to it.

A cremation is carried out at a registered crematorium and is sometimes preferred as an economical option to burial as it does involve the cost or process of purchasing a grave. Once cremated the deceased's ashes are returned to the family in a chosen urn. There are additional fixed costs to the interment of ashes at a cemetery, but these do vary. We can advice on interment costs when you have identified a location.

Burial is amore traditional form of committal for a deceased person. It involves the opening of a family or established grave to facilitate the burial, there are costs to opening the grave but this is not as expensive as purchasing a new grave. Purchasing a new grave or plot can be expensive depending on the chosen location. We have an extensive knowledge of cemeteries in the country and associated fixed costs.

In general families in Ireland arrange a religious funeral ceremony or service to celebrate the life of their loved one. This is normally in the form of a religious ceremony. 

A Civil ceremony is a service that can be held in a location that was special to the deceased person. It is not normally a religious service but a celebration of a persons life and can be conducted by a celebrant or be part of a humanist service.

At Carroll & Fitzgerald we are here to advise you on suitability and cost. We supply a range of coffins and caskets that are suitable for both burial and cremation. We supply traditional hard wood, semi hard wood and veneered coffins that range from the very simple to ornate designs.

We also offer coffins that can be themed to reflect the interests of a loved one.

Our exclusive range of eco/bio degradable environmental coffins are also available. Assembled or woven using natural materials by traditional crafts people.

A humanist funeral is a non-religious ceremony that focuses on the life the person has led, rather than a particular faith they may have had.

Humanist funerals mark the passing of a loved one by balancing the sadness and the sense of loss with a celebration of the life that was lived and is now ended.

This is achieved with thoughtful reflections from family and friends and can be interspersed with music and appropriate, well-chosen words from the celebrant.

Humanist funerals follow a similar structure as a religious funeral, with readings, music and eulogies, but without the mention of a God or faith.

Natural burial grounds are a beautiful, tranquil and peaceful final resting place chosen by families for their loved ones. There are currently two available in Ireland, one in County Wexford the other in County Galway.

Burial grounds are a relatively new concept to Ireland and cater for all. Whether you have a religious or non religious belief. They offer an alternative resting place that is both natural and a calming place for those who want to come and remember.

The natural burial grounds can facilitate ashes and full burial plots

They offer a tranquil burial ground where friends and family can come and sit, surrounded by nature, and remember their loved ones.

It is an opportunity to be buried in a natural environment to use your final resting space as an aid to wildlife conservation.

Friends and family left behind can enjoy the newly created wildlife sanctuary where life goes on and memories linger.