A personal service from Finnegan's Funeral Directors

Finnegan Funeral Directors will expand their personalised services in the coming weeks as they open a new home in Arva.

It is down to the “great team” at Finnegan’s that Proprietor Declan Finnegan and Manager Bernard McPhillips attribute the popularity of their services among local communities when a loved one passes away.

“We’re developing a new funeral home in Arva because we have been favoured by families in that area to carry out funeral arrangements,” Declan shared with the Celt.

“The opportunity arose to develop a premises and we’re developing a first-class funeral home.”

From the moment they receive a call, the dedicated team at Finnegan’s provide all the necessary services to give your loved one the send-off they wished for.

Bereaved families can visit the team at the funeral home, or alternatively they will come to meet you at a suitable location to discuss the arrangements.

Finnegan’s understand this is a difficult situation for families, which is why they guide conversations with compassion and understanding. Serving families since 1988, Declan took over the business from his uncle Joe, who had been in business for 50 years. He opened the funeral home in 2001; and expanded the business and services to include Lakelands Crematorium in 2015.

Now employing a team of 10 employees, they listen and endeavour to deliver a personal celebration of life, curated by the family and organised by them. At a distressing time, they take the pressure off bereaved loved ones. “We facilitate people in a timely and respectful manner; we don’t rush the service.”

From there, the professional team will take over.

Living in a multi-cultural society, the funeral directors are experienced at accommodating different beliefs, lifestyles and requests. They will go above and beyond to grant any family wishes and will guide you through those difficult conversations in an empathetic manner.

For those who would prefer a non-religious ceremony, Finnegan’s Funeral Home have a celebrant within their team whom families can liaise with to curate a personal ceremony.

“There’s a lot of non-religious ceremonies and we have Ian Fee on the team who is a highly qualified celebrant. If they want a little bit of religion brought in that can be done too. It’s personalised.

“We have a great team that covers all the aspects of the funeral business.”

While it is a devastating time for families, Finnegan’s team understand that it can also be a busy time, which is why they take care of as much elements of the funeral as they possibly can. “We cover everything, we give all the advice they need, documents and paperwork.”

They also offer a repatriation service for families of loved ones who die abroad. With all the necessary connections, just one phone call to Finnegan’s and they can arrange to have your loved one home as soon as possible.

Finnegan’s provide their services to and from Ireland, with a specialised service from the United Kingdom.

“We provide a personalised repatriation service from the UK, in that we travel over and bring their loved one home in a timely manner rather than waiting for three to four weeks. We can often have them home within a week.”

Where to hold your service is another consideration, which the funeral directors at Finnegan’s can help you. Services can take place at home, at a church or at their modern funeral home. The latter provides a calm and relaxing environment where friends and family can come to pay their respects in peace.

Wherever you decide to hold the service, Finnegan’s Funeral Home have a fleet of new hearse vehicles to take your loved one to their final resting place - up to three individuals can travel with them on their final journey.

After the celebration of life, family members then decide what they would like to do with their loved one’s remains. The team at Finnegan’s will guide your through this difficult decision, providing options, information and advice where necessary.

Lakelands Crematorium

Finnegan’s opened the Lakelands Crematorium in 2015, the only such service in this region for those who wish to have their remains cremated.

The crematorium provides for two service rooms, which can accommodate large crowds or more intimate services. A large screen allows for photo slideshows or videos to be played and music to suit the service can be downloaded and played at the family’s request.

Along with the actual crematorium itself, Lakelands offer a memorial garden and a columbarium [memorial wall] where urns can be reserved. A memorial tree bears the names of some of those laid to rest at the facility - a loving reminder in a tranquil setting.

Webcam

Services can meanwhile be viewed through their dedicated webcam, accessible through the Lakelands website, allowing family and friends to be virtually present at their loved one’s service. This is password protected.

Following the service and cremation, Finnegan’s have a messaging service, which provides families with information on the next steps necessary - for example obtaining a death certificate, sorting out legal documents, pensions and other aspects.

Partnerships

Finnegan’s have recently taken over the business of Andy Cronin in Ballinagh, whom they have been working with over a number of years. A “very experienced” and “respected” funeral director, Andy continues to work with Finnegan’s on occasion. The team also works alongside funeral director Clive Magee who is based in Ballyconnell.

In line with its ongoing dedication to supporting families, Finnegan’s also has a partnership with My Farewell Wishes - a local, award-winning funeral planning provider based in Cavan. This collaboration enables families to access trusted, professional pre-planning services, offering peace of mind for their loved ones.

“We also help out a lot of other funeral directors with our embalming skills,” said Declan, who is a qualified embalmer. They have also recently hired a female embalmer Eadoin, who is “excellent at her job”.

A team effort

“It’s a great team; it’s all a team effort here. We’re all the time endeavouring to improve the service that we provide to families that we are honoured to look after. We deliver a very personalised service. It’s what people want, it’s not what we think they want. We talk to them and, whatever they want in the service, we try to provide that.

“We guide families through the service and try to help them deal with their loss. We carry out the funeral in a very dignified, organised fashion.”

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