Rise in number of elderly Catholics choosing cremation

THE manager of the only crematorium outside Dublin said he’s surprised by the number of elderly Catholics using its facilities.

Frank Murphy, manager of the Island Crematorium in Cork harbour, said that last year 60% of services carried out there were for Catholics.

Mr Murphy said he worked for a major funeral company in England for 17 years and when he took over management at the Rocky Island crematorium three years ago he expected the majority of services would be for non-nationals and young people.