There are currently ten crematoria on the island of Ireland. One in both Roselawn-Belfast and Antrim-Newtownabbey in Northern Ireland , one in Cavan, Navan, Shannon and Cork and the remaining four in Dublin.
Cremations can be part of both a religious or non-religious ceremony, however Jewish, Muslim and Eastern Orthodox Church faiths do not allow cremation. When it is a religious Funeral it is more likely that a Committal takes place in the Crematorium, which is similar to what takes place at the Graveside. If you are unsure of your faith’s attitude to cremation then please see the Cremation.Org.UK who have a useful page.
Over 25% (2020) of funeral services in the Republic of Ireland now choose Cremation, which is up from 15% in 2014. Indeed, whilst the number of deaths is increasing at ~2% per annum, the numbers of cremations is increasing by ~11% per annum, but has still some distance to go to meet the 70-90% cremation rate in many European countries.
The number opting for cremation is expected to continue to increase significantly due to:
- Wider acceptance/knowledge of it as an option
- The increased cost of burial sites, particularly in urban areas.
- The changing role of religion in Funerals. This might be using venues not connected to religion, also those looking for a different type of service which might ‘celebrate the life’ of the deceased or instead follow Humanist or Atheist beliefs.
- Burial of the ashes in a family plot, as whilst there may typically be a limit of 3 coffins buried in a grave, ashes are separate from this restriction.
- Options available for ashes (scattering, burial, keepsake, columbarium, etc…)
- The two parts of the Funeral being separated. I.e. disposal (in this case cremation) of the body and then ceremony taking place afterwards with the ashes rather than the body. This is more commonly known as direct cremation.
However, one of the limiting factors for some will be proximity to a crematorium which are mainly located in or close to the largest cities.
In terms of costs, cremation offers significant opportunity to reduce costs by allowing the two parts of the Funeral to be easily separated. Also, the biggest impact would be that in many cases with burial a new grave may have to be purchased, with some/all of the other associated costs (Opening, registration, planning, foundation, gravestone & surround).
Please see our FAQ section which has a section specific to Cremation.
Creamation Rates in Republic Of Ireland
| Year | Total deaths | Number of cremations | % cremated | Annual increase in cremations | Annual increase in deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 29,095 | 4,474 | 15.38% | ||
| 2015 | 29,952 | 4,981 | 16.63% | 507 | 857 |
| 2016 | 30,390 | 5,498 | 18.09% | 517 | 438 |
| 2017 | 30,484 | 5,978 | 19.61% | 480 | 94 |
| 2018 | 31,116 | 6,583 | 21.16% | 605 | 632 |
| 2019 | 31,134 | 7,063 | 22.69% | 480 | 18 |
| 2020 | 32,856 | 8,305 Estimated | 25.28% | 1,242 | 1,722 |
| Average: 11% | Average: 2% |