Virus blights our funeral traditions

It has often been said that the Irish are the best in the world at doing funerals, but even that age old and innate ritual of gathering together and closely supporting one another in times of grief and loss has been prohibited due to restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"These are very strange times," says Nenagh undertaker Philly Ryan. "All funerals are now being held in private and gatherings at funeral homes have gone out of the equation.
"Nobody is coming to shake hands and to express their condolences to the families in mourning. Even the evening Removal of remains to the churches is now prohibited.
"People are afraid they might contract the virus and pass it on to someone in their family who is vulnerable. People who would like to go to funerals are not going."

POSTING MESSAGES OF SUPPORT ONLINE
Philly, whose family have been in the undertaking business in Nenagh and surrounding areas for almost a century and a half, says people have discovered other ways of supporting those who are grieving.
"Many people have discovered the benefits of the online facility RIP.ie where they can post a message of sympathy. Streams of condolences are now coming in on that site and people are using platforms such as Facebook and other forms of social media to send a message of sympathy. Also, the phones are hopping from those who want to extend their sorrow."
When news of the first case of the virus in Ireland emerged last month Philly says he was running around trying to get as much hand sanitiser as he could get, fearing the customary mass hand shaking that is such an integral part of the traditional funeral would lead to the spread of the deadly virus from his funeral home in Silver Street.
"But now all gatherings at funeral homes have been prohibited and people are finding it strange. The direct family members can still come to the home to say goodbye to their relative as long as they practice physical distancing, or families can have the body brought home, which is nice. But funerals with gatherings of more than ten people are now out."

MAXIMUM OF 10 MOURNERS
While some areas of the country having banned Funeral Masses altogether, Philly says these Masses continue to take place in churches in Nenagh and surrounding areas, but a maximum of just ten mourners can attend.
"People who can no longer go to the church to the Mass or to the cemetery are doing other things to support mourning families. What is now happening is that people come out of their houses and line the streets and stand outside their gates as the funeral passes on the way to the church.
"I saw this happening in Puckane last week where people lined the road from Knigh Cross to the local cemetery as the funeral passed. Some people just stand in silence, or they might give a wave to the
mourners as the hearse passes. That is all people can do for now."
For people who have died of the coronavirus, the funeral service is somewhat different.
Philly revealed that he acted as undertaker for one particular funeral in a town in the West where an elderly man with underlying health issues had died from Covid-19.
"I had to go on my own and collect the remains from the hospital in that particular town and place the remains in a sealed coffin. The next morning I brought the remains to the church and took the coffin into the church by myself using my electric lift. It was just myself and three priests of the parish who were there for the Funeral Mass."

IDEA FOR PAYING TRIBUTE
Far from being a cursory and dry cut affair, Philly said it turned out to be a lovely ceremony. "A daughter of the man who had died told me that her grandchild had said to her that it was important that all the family dress up in their good clothes. Even though no family could be present, they all dressed up in their best and tuned in online via the church webcam facility from all over Ireland and the world.
"The Parish Priest who was involved really stood up to the mark and said 'no problem, we'll have a Mass'. As bad as things were for the family losing the man to the virus, the Mass gave them a bit of solace. The Parish Priest even read out all the messages sent by grandchildren and the man was given a full ceremony lasting 40 minutes. The priests could have got it all over in 25 minutes, but they didn't. Even two of them later attended the cemetery with me for the burial. I had a man recording the burial as well which I sent to the family. The whole thing was amazing."

SPANISH FLU PANDEMIC
Significantly, this is not the first time the long established Ryan undertaking business has to deal with funerals during a pandemic.
Says Philly: "We established in 1871, so we will be in the undertakng business for 150 years next year. My great grandfather John Ryan was an undertaker during the Spanish Flu pandemic in 1918. He had 28 funerals in the month of February alone that year. Many people were so poor back then they were unable to pay him for the funerals, but he didn't charge them. His attitude was 'people will not forget us for doing that.'"
Some 149 years later, the Ryan family are still in operation, burying the dead of Nenagh and surrounding areas. People didn't forget them, it seems.