A new service for the bereaved has opened in Kilkenny City which could save grieving families a four hour round trip on one of their worst days. It’s 126 kilometres to the nearest crematorium, Shasby’s Cremation Chapel will save people the ordeal of a two hour drive to Dublin and then back for what is a 15-minute service, said Michael Shasby. At Shasby’s Funeral Home staff provide a Chapel with screens for live streaming or a slide show and the curtains slowly close when the service is over. Shasby Funeral Directors will then take the remains to Dublin, which saves the bereaved family from having to do it. What first put the idea into Michael’s head was when a family following a cremation service in Dublin returned home to Kilkenny and prior to the family saying ‘good bye’ to him, asked would he consider a ‘cremation, chapel in his funeral home similar to the one in Dublin and avoid the four hour round trip. In another case a family who unfortunately had the experience of two cremations within weeks of each other in Dublin recently said to me that if there was a ‘cremation’ chapel at that time in Kilkenny, there is no way they would have travelled to Dublin from Kilkenny for a 15-minute service. Michael invites anyone interested in finding out more about the ‘cremation’ chapel in Shasby’s Funeral Home to make contact. It’s the first in Kilkenny
