Cost of dying: the cheapest and most expensive places to buried

IF you want to be buried with his or her people, perhaps you might consider saving your nearest and dearest a few thousand euro when planning your final departure.

In that case, head for Mullingar, the cheapest place in Ireland to be put six feet under. That’s where the wily Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary lives, happy in the knowledge that when he dies, it will be at rock-bottom prices, just like his low fares airline.

Whatever you do, avoid being planted in Dun Laoghaire, the dearest place to be buried in Ireland.

Fine Gael TD and MEP Gay Mitchell is launching an inquiry after discovering a huge disparity in costs between Dublin and the rest of the country.

“I am constantly receiving complaints about the cost of funerals in Dublin,” said Mr Mitchell, who has conducted research into the cost of being buried in the capital as against the rest of the country.

“The results of the research I had carried exposed some startling facts. The cost of a standard funeral, based on our preliminary research, varies hugely, depending on where you live.”

You will save almost €1,000 by being buried outside of Dublin. The average cost for the same funeral in the capital is €3,712 compared to an average of €2,810 elsewhere.

In Dublin, the cost of dying also varies greatly.

Burials are more expensive on the city’s south side with a funeral costing an average of €3,844 versus €3,639 on the northside.

Outside of Dublin you can pay €2,200 for a funeral in Westmeath or €3,500 in Galway.

Mr Mitchell says the cost of the exact same funeral can vary from €2,750 in Fitzgerald’s Funeral Directors in Rush to €4,700 in Quinn’s Funeral Homes in Dun Laoghaire.

“A huge discrepancy exists between Dublin funeral prices and prices from around the country. There is no valid or acceptable reason why this is so,” says Deputy Mitchell.

“I had a recent example of a woman, whose only income was from social welfare, being signed up to pay over €7,000 for the funeral of a parent. She doesn’t know where she’s going to get the money for this.

“In my view, vulnerable people are being stung by some undertakers who are charging exorbitant prices. Quite often people don’t shop around when arranging a funeral and this is quite understandable as they are dealing with the death of a close family member or a friend.”

Anyone who feels they are being overcharged is asked to contact Deputy Mitchell on [phone] or email him at [e-mail]

Funeral costs:

Michael Murray Ltd, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath: €2,200.

Jos O’Halloran Ltd, Nenagh, Co Tipperary: €2,500.

Hennessy Funeral Home Ltd, Waterford city: €2,650.

Quinns Funeral Home Ltd, Dundalk, Co Louth: €3,200.

Joe Irwin Ltd, Galway city: €3,500.

Average - €2,810.

Dublin Northside average - €3,639.

Southside average - €3,844.