Description
A Humanist funeral is a non-religious ceremony that marks the passing of a loved one by balancing the sadness and the sense of loss with a celebration of the life that was lived.
Family and friends may wish to contribute some thoughtful reflections, along with music, readings and symbolic gestures and I can guide and support you in making your choices.
Humanist funerals are becoming more and more popular as people who live their lives without religion choose this option to celebrate the life of a loved one in a very personal way.
For more information on how the process works click to read our FAQs.
For funeral enquiries please phone me on 087 124 6486.
If you don’t get me, please leave a voicemail and I will come back to you just as soon as I can.
You can also fill my contact form below.
Testimonials
You were truly wonderful and Gwen would have loved the service so much which is the most important thing. If there is anyone who needs any recommendations or anything please send them our way we were all delighted with you, your care and love. Very true to Gwen’s values.
Many thanks again for giving Gwen such a beautiful send-off.
I think you did a marvellous job of gathering up and holding onto all that we said to you at a very emotional and sad time for us all. But, you still managed to capture and convey who Mum was and what she was like, in a coherent, sensitive way, with a sense of humour, which she would have loved!
We couldn’t have asked for more! We are also very grateful for how kind and supportive you have been to us all throughout this process, which involved having to organise things and pull things together very quickly at a time we probably felt least equipped emotionally to do this. You might be interested to hear that so many people said what a wonderful ceremony it was!
You are a special person. We will be forever grateful.
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions & Answers
Humanist funerals can be held at any time, depending on the availability of your venue, your celebrant and your funeral director. In the case of crematorium chapels, it is worth bearing in mind that these can be busy mid–morning to lunchtime, so it may be useful to consider arranging a Humanist funeral outside of these times. It is advisable to allow 35 – 40 minutes for a Humanist funeral; your funeral director can support you to book two consecutive slots. One slot is only 20 minutes so two slots tends to allow for sufficient time.
This depends on how much you want to include by way of readings, tributes, music etc. I would generally advise you to allow about 35 – 40 minutes depending on what type of content is included. This includes time for mourners to enter and to exit.
Humanism is an ethical philosophy based on human values like compassion and reason and as such it is non-religious. It is important however to ensure that everyone feels as included as possible and so the funeral can include a minute’s silence during which all mourners can consider the life of the deceased and grieve according to their own custom.
If it is particularly important to you it may be possible for a family member or friend to include a short prayer.
An increasing number of people ask if they can arrange their own Humanist funeral, so that they can be sure that their funeral will fit with their own convictions. It is an excellent idea to have your funeral wishes prepared and written up in advance and I would be happy to assist you with this.
A Humanist funeral will usually open with the family entering along with the deceased’s coffin while music plays. I will then welcome everyone and say a few well-chosen opening words. Family members or friends may like to give tributes about their loved one or sometimes they may prefer for me to do this on their behalf. I will support you to decide what readings, poetry and other elements to include (e.g. using mementos in the ceremony). Some venues have facilities for you to include a photo collage during the funeral ceremony if you wish.
I generally suggest you include a minute’s silence. I will bring the ceremony to a close with some final words including a reference to the Humanist outlook that focuses on how a person lives on in our hearts and memories. If appropriate I can include thanks on behalf of the family and an invitation to join them for refreshments afterwards. Typically, there will be music to conclude (live or recorded according to your choice).
You can contact me at 087 124 6486 or fill out your details via the contact form below. Once I have confirmed my availability, I will arrange to meet the next of kin. We can meet in person, by zoom or phone.
I will listen as you tell me about the person who had died. I will support and guide you regarding what elements to include in the funeral ceremony. We will discuss who might like to speak, what music to include and whether to include any readings, mementos or pictures etc. I can also speak on your behalf if you’d like something said, but feel you might be too emotional to speak yourself.
My aim is to compose a ceremony that is personal and meaningful. After our meeting I will write up the ceremony and send it to you before we finalise it.
My fee for planning, preparation, meetings and of course delivering the funeral ceremony on the day is €325 of which €25 goes to the Humanist Association of Ireland. If I need to travel some distance and/or go to two locations, there may be an additional travel expense.
Typically your funeral director will pay my fee and include it in the final bill to the family.
Contact Barbara
Get in touch via the below form.