New online system for arranging funerals and cremations has been warmly received, writes CIARA O'BRIEN

ONE OF Ireland’s most historic cemeteries has taken a leap into the 21st century with a new online system for arranging funerals and cremations.

Glasnevin Cemeteries Group has invested about €80,000 in the new system and database, which will allow funeral directors to make arrangements out of office hours for the five cemeteries – Glasnevin, Palmerstown, Dardistown, Newlands Cross and Goldenbridge – and two crematoriums that are included in the group.

“We’re always breaking new ground, we’re innovative in what we do,” says Melvyn Colville, customer services manager with the not-for-profit organisation.

“People don’t die between nine and five, so we have to put a service out there to cater for the public 24/7 as well.”

The decision to develop the system, which includes a database of grave records, was taken as part of a move to improve services for bereaved families.

“We’re dealing with people who are newly bereaved. How delicate a customer can you deal with? It’s majorly important that we have the best type of service available to them,” Colville says.

“As part of that we’ve been spending a lot of time and resources on an in-house computer system.” The system allows them to search the records when people come to the counter.

He adds: “In Ireland the turnaround time for burials is three days, which is a very short time. If we can give facilities to the families to confirm details about the grave in very quick time, it’s a major part of the funeral arrangements that they can set aside.

“We’re trying to give that information as quick as possible. We can either man the office 24/7 – which isn’t that practical – or we could explore how we could do it on an online basis.”

Funeral directors have reacted positively to the system, which went live in January. Sixty per cent of the funerals booked during that period have been made online at www.funeralbooking.com. The move by Glasnevin Cemeteries towards a more high-tech solution has significant historical value, with a wealth of historical records now available.

The first of its cemeteries was opened in Goldenbridge in 1828, with Daniel O’Connell as one of the founder members of the committee behind it.

The existing records, which stretch back to 1898, were manually inputted as part of a Fás scheme. There are more than half a million records in Glasnevin and other cemeteries in the database.

The current online capabilities are just the first phase; the cemetery is planning further developments, including scanning other records, to make them searchable online.

Colville says the cemetery has minute books detailing its meetings over the years, which would be of historic interest, along with paper records of burials.

The site also includes a geneaology section, which allows users to trace their roots.