Embalming

We provide Embalming as part of our service. Our Embalmer, Peter Sweeney has been providing Embalming service for over twenty years having qualified at the Midland School of Embalming, Birmingham. Peter is a member of the Professional Embalmers Association of Ireland and is committed to the principles and code of conduct of the Association.
If you do not wish us to carry out this treatment, please let us know.

Modern Embalming ensures that the deceased appears peaceful and at rest. It also affords them the dignity and respect they deserve by ensuring that they look their best. Embalming is a hygienic treatment of the body providing comfort to the bereaved by restoring the appearance of the deceased to how we remember them. Embalming is a topic of intrigue to some people, others prefer not to know. Embalming is not required by law.
Embalming is the replacement of bodily fluids with a preservative solution. It also includes washing the deceased and preparing them for viewing by setting their features so they appear as you remember them in life.
It is always preferable that embalming be carried out at the earliest opportunity. As part of the care and presentation process we offer hair-dressing and make-up, this gives your loved one a peaceful and natural appearance. It is always helpful if the family can provide a recent photo which will guide the embalmer as to how the deceased looked.
If there has been an autopsy or death from a traumatic accident, it is highly recommended that some form of embalming and reconstruction take place.  We will follow your wishes, and endeavour to leave you a lasting memory of your loved one resting peacefully.

Cremation

Sweeney Funeral Directors will guide you through the process of filling out the necessary documentation and liaise with the Offices of the local Doctor, Hospital and Coroner to complete the process.
The Crematoria available are:
Lakeland Crematorium, Cavan.
Mount Jerome Crematorium, Dublin.
Glasnevin, Dublin.
Newlands Cross, Dublin.
The Island Crematorium, Ringaskiddy, Cork.

Cremation is a process of reducing the human body to ash and bone fragments using high heat and flame.
Any traditional funeral service with the body present can precede the cremation, or a memorial service can take place after the cremation has been completed.
Most religions allow cremation except for, Orthodox Jewish, Muslim, Eastern Orthodox and a few Fundamentalist Christian faiths. The Catholic and Protestant Church’s accept cremation as long as it is not chosen for reasons which are contrary to Christian teachings.
Churches normally allow for the urn to be present during the memorial service. When the ashes urn is present it provides a focal point for the service.
Ashes can be buried in a cemetery or cremation garden, interred in a columbarium, kept at home, or scattered on private property.
Some people select cremation for economic reasons, many choose this option for other reasons. The simplicity and dignity of cremation, environmental concerns, and the flexibility cremation affords in ceremony planning and final disposition all add to its increasing popularity.
On average cremation takes from two to three hours. When complete the ash and bone fragments, which are very brittle are cooled. All non-consumed items, like metal from clothing, hip joints, and bridge work, are separated from the ashes. The remaining bone fragments are then processed in a machine to a consistent size and placed into an urn selected by the family.
A cremated body resembles coarse sand and are whitish to light grey in colour. The ashes of an average size adult usually weighs between four and six pounds.

Funeral Services

It is of the utmost importance at Sweeney Funeral Directors that the funeral is arranged to reflect your requirements and indeed those of the deceased as much as possible. Every person is different, so every funeral is different too.
We will guide you through the following process so that no detail is neglected and that the tribute to your loved one is as faultless as it is dignified.
The choice of burial or cremation
Completion of death notification and liaison with medical personnel
Repatriation arrangements, if required
Preparation and publishing of death notices
Confirmation of details with clergy, churches, cemeteries or crematoria
Coffin or Casket selection
Preparation and dressing of the deceased, as per the family’s wishes
Funeral vehicles
Selection of Floral Tributes
Music and hymn selection
Production of mass booklets/service sheets
Provision of condolence books at the funeral home, residence, church/crematorium
Confirmation of your wishes in writing outlining the estimated funeral costs

Repatriation

Sweeney Funeral Directors offer a complete service where we can arrange the total repatriation from the place of death either into, or out of Ireland. We will liaise with the local authorities and a funeral Director (in the country where the death has occurred).
Repatriation of the body of a deceased person to or from Ireland can be a complicated and costly process. It may therefore be necessary to consider having the body cremated for the purpose of repatriation.

Exhumation

Once an exhumation has been authorised, Sweeney Funeral Directors liaise with the deceased’s family and the relevant authorities (Local Council, Health Officer and Cemeteries) to make all necessary arrangements. The prospect and experience of an exhumation of the interred (buried) body of a deceased person can often be a very difficult time for the family and friends of the deceased. It is only in strict circumstances that exhumation occurs in Ireland. At all times during the process, due regard for respect to the deceased person and privacy for the family and friends of the deceased person is protected.
Some examples of situations where an exhumation of an interred body might be required or take place include:
When a court orders an exhumation as part of a criminal investigation
For public health reasons (e.g. if a graveyard or cemetery is being moved)
For family reasons (if the family of the deceased person requests that the body be moved to another burial ground, another part of the country, abroad, etc.).