The Journey Together Understanding Funerals: What to Expect
Nov 11, 2025
David McGowan, a funeral director who opened a North West crematorium, shares decades of hands-on experience. He talks about what happens after death and the practical steps families face. He covers cremation versus burial, costs and choices. He also explores rituals, nature’s role in grief, and why planning ahead helps ease conflict and stress.
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Nature Is Embedded In Funeral Rituals
- Rituals and nature are deeply connected to how communities process death, offering non-religious spiritual comfort.
- David studied death psychology and found old Irish customs (birds, timing, field graves) tied nature to grieving practices.
Elderly Stories About Birds And Grave Rituals
- David travelled through rural Ireland asking elders about funerary customs and heard stories linking bird behaviour to farming and burial timing.
- One 90-year-old drove him to cemeteries and described carrying the deceased shoulder-tied around a field before interment.
Understand The Arrangement Conference And Costs
- During the arrangement conference the funeral director reviews coffin choice, director's fees, and disbursements so families understand the full invoice breakdown.
- David McGowan says burial costs typically range €6,500–€8,500 and include grave purchase, opening fees, coffin, services and later headstone costs.