Lord Mayor of Dublin opens ‘The Haven’ civil and religious funeral ceremony venue
Lord Mayor of Dublin, Mr. Naoise Ó Muirí today performed the official opening of ‘The Haven’ – the new premises of Massey Bros., one of Ireland’s longest established funeral directors with ten branches across Dublin. The Haven is Ireland’s first venue designed specifically to host civil and religious funeral services, bringing a new level of choice to families considering where to hold a funeral for a loved one.
The premises, located at 177 Crumlin Road, Dublin 12, are the result of an investment of €150,000 to refurbish the interior of the building and install the latest audio-visual and internet technology. By doing so, The Haven will also cater for families with members and friends living overseas. Through the use of internet technology, people living elsewhere in Ireland or in any other country in the world will be able to attend a funeral ‘virtually’ via Skype by logging onto Massey Bangor-Drv.
Freddie Maguire, managing director, Massey Bros. said that over the past number of years requests for choice have increased. “What we have really created is a blank canvas which families can use to reflect their loved one in whatever way they feel is appropriate. This could be creating a theme around a sporting interest or hobby or simply holding a funeral ceremony in the middle of the night so that relatives in Australia or New Zealand can be a part of it via the internet.
“In our experience the funeral industry is about five years behind the wedding industry. We know that in 2009 almost half of people marrying in Dublin City married in civil ceremonies. Already, we are seeing approximately ten per cent of the families we look after requesting civil funerals for their loved ones.
“The last census showed that the number of people in Ireland with no religious affiliation had increased by 45 per cent to almost 270,000 people. It is important to us that they have a place in which they can mark the passing of a loved one in a dignified and respectful manner.
“We also know that the majority of families in Ireland now have at least one member living overseas. That is in addition to the large number of people from overseas who have made Ireland their home. It is not always possible for people to get home quickly to attend a funeral so we made the decision to invest in technology which would allow for people to be present via the internet.”
Lord Mayor of Dublin, Mr. Naoise Ó Muirí said that the significant investment made into these premises not only reflected the continued commitment of Massey Bros. to the people of Dublin, but also demonstrated their desire to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse society.
“Three generations of the Massy Bros. family have dedicated themselves to caring for families at what is an exceptionally difficult time in their lives. Their primary concern is enabling people to honour the lives of their loved ones in whatever way is appropriate. This investment is a testament to that and ensures that each and every member of our society has a space which they can make their own to do just that.
“It is so important to those who have been bereaved to have the support of family, friends and colleagues. For those whose family and friends live overseas, the ability through technology to have them pay their respects and attend a funeral from wherever they might be in the world will, I know, provide huge comfort.”
The Haven is available to families for religious or civil services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is able to accommodate up to 55 mourners as well as countless others via the internet. Families are able to customise The Haven to reflect the interests of their loved one and are free to use the audio-visual system to play music and display pictures and photographs.
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