Josh Moonman has just launched Legacy.ie, a new website where a funeral can be planned and booked entirely online.To use the service, people log on to the website and choose from one of three funeral packages.
Then there is a series of questions asking whether you need limousines on the day, what kind of coffin you want, options about putting a death notice in the paper and so on.
“That is submitted to us and we promise to email back within four hours with a quote.”
The site is particularly aimed towards people who are arranging non-religious funerals – a trend that is increasing in Ireland – and also for families who want to keep costs down.
Its Direct Funeral package (removal straight to the cemetery/crematorium) starts at €890, and its Two Day Service (with an evening removal and morning funeral) starts at €1,990.
“The thinking behind it is to cater for funerals that are cost conscious but still providing an absolute professional service that they would expect from an Irish funeral director,” says Moonman.
Most things can be done via the web now, but are the Irish ready to plan funerals entirely online? “If I said to you 15 years ago ‘would you book your entire holiday online?’, you would have said no. Every aspect of business and life has moved online so why not the funeral industry? . . .Whether I am slightly ahead of the time only time will tell.”
“Even in a business as innately conservative as the funeral business we need innovation. Most funeral directors have websites now and I arranged a funeral the other day on Skype with someone in New Zealand."
There are over 600 funeral directors catering for the 28,000 deaths per year in Ireland.