Funeral Services

Any person who claims to be a member of the church of Ireland, who until the time of death lived in the parish, or was a member of the congregation, is entitled to a funeral service in the Parish Church. The Order of Service is laid out in the Church of Ireland Book of Common Prayer.

A death is invariably an event of sadness and loss. Pastoral care is as important as the funeral service in the church’s ministry to the bereaved.
The Rector will visit them in their home and discuss their requirements for hymns, readings and other aspects of the service, as he works alongside the Funeral Director in making the arrangements.

There are some occasions when people request a service in the home of the deceased, or in a funeral parlour chapel, prior to a committal ceremony at the graveside or at a crematorium.
Whilst it is always desirable to try to meet with those requests it is important to remember that for many who attend a funeral, a church building can offer mourners considerable comfort as a place of prayer, which other places do not.

Because of the limited remaining space in the Parish graveyard, we regret that it may not always be possible to offer a burial plot. In such cases the Rector will normally accompany the bereaved to another cemetery in the locality for the ceremony of committal . Where a burial plot can be provided in the church graveyard, it is important that the relatives of the deceased understand that this does not confer ‘ownership’ of the grave, but only the right of burial and that application will have to be made subsequently for the erection of a headstone and that there are other terms and conditions regarding the upkeep of graves.

The Select Vestry sets fees for funerals, and burials which are revised at regular intervals

The Rector should always be contacted before any arrangements are made.