Funerals delayed as increase in number of deaths puts mortuaries under pressure

Cork City Mortuary 'had so many bodies it couldn’t take any more', said the Cork city coroner. Picture: Larry Cummins

A spike in the number of deaths in recent weeks has disrupted funeral arrangements and put mortuaries under unprecedented stress.

An Irish Examiner analysis of death notices on the website rip.ie shows there were 9,718 published in the eight-week period from December 1, 2022, to January 25, 2023 — up 20% from 8,075 in the same period a year earlier.