Funerals

A Humanist funeral is a non-religious ceremony which 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.

Humanist Funeral Ceremonies

A Humanist funeral is a non-religious ceremony which 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. The focus of the ceremony is a celebration of a loved one's life. This is achieved with thoughtful reflections from family, friends and colleagues.

Your accredited Humanist celebrant will guide and support you in choosing the most suitable music, readings and appropriate, well-chosen words and symbolic gestures that encapsulate the life of the person.  The answer to many of the frequently asked questions regarding Humanist funerals can be found at the bottom of this page.

As funerals are usually arranged at short notice, you will find details of our celebrants who are most likely to be available for funerals beneath. You can contact them directly by phone. While the counties where the celebrants are based are listed, they may also be willing to travel to other counties where possible.

The HAI is an Associate Member of the Irish Association of Funeral Directors.

Humanist Funeral Ceremonies - photo of two mourners' hands on an urn
Humanist funeral ceremonies - photo of tealight candles
Humanist funeral ceremonies - photo of white candles, an urn and a red rose on a table

Billy Mag Fhloinn was the perfect celebrant for our family's Memorial Ceremony. He brought the exact measure of dignity, without being sombre, which was just what we had in mind.  So grateful to him for facilitating the ceremony which befitted our departed relative.  Míle buíochas.

P.Daly

Just wanted to say a huge thank you for the lovely service you gave for Les today. You gave him such a fantastic send off and I couldn't have done it without you. Every person at the service commented on how great you were and how personal you made the delivery. Many thanks.

L. Wilcox

Frequently asked questions about Humanist Funeral Ceremonies

Please note that these questions and answers are for general information purposes only. The answers are correct to the best of our belief and knowledge at the present time, but are not definitive.  Different celebrants take slightly different approaches, so please speak to a celebrant if you have a particular query or concern.

30

Years in Ireland

3000

Ceremonies a year

365

Days a year

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