MEMBERS of the Irish Diaspora who are unable to travel home to attend family funerals can now view a live stream of the funeral on the internet.
‘Funerals Live’ is the brainchild of Inagh businessman, Alan Foudy, who has plans to create up to 10 new jobs over the next 18 months as the innovative service is rolled out.
“Wherever in the world our client may be, whether it is in Australia or the United States, this service provides them with a private weblink to a live stream of a funeral service or the option of a video recording of the entire service, including the burial, within two hours of its conclusion,” he explained.
Mr Foudy said the idea behind this venture arose after he was asked to make a DVD of a funeral service for relatives and friends of the deceased whose funeral they could not attend.
“The general feeling was that a live webcast or a delayed broadcast of the service would be a better option than having to wait up to two weeks for a DVD to arrive by post,” he outlined.
“With the approval of the relevant parish priest and family members, I provide live streamed footage and audio of funerals in the church and graveyard, respecting the sensitivity of the occasion, subject to the availability of broadband on location.
“The entire service can also be made available online no more than two hours after the funeral service. The weblink is password-protected so as to ensure only people who you want to see it will see it,” he concluded.
Mr Foudy said that he also expects the service will be particularly useful to persons in hospitals or nursing homes who are unable to attend services.
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.