When Should I Call a Funeral Director in Ireland?

When Should I Call a Funeral Director?

You can call a funeral director before a death for advice or after a death has occurred to begin making arrangements.

The correct time to call after a death depends on where and how the person died. An expected death at home is handled differently from a death in a hospital or nursing home, or a death that was sudden or unexpected.

If you are uncertain about what to do, the person's GP, healthcare team, emergency services or funeral director can help direct you.

Can I call a funeral director before someone dies?

Yes. You do not have to wait until a death occurs before contacting a funeral director.

Many funeral directors are willing to answer questions in advance, particularly when someone is receiving palliative or end-of-life care.

You can ask about:

What the family should do when the person dies
What telephone number to use outside normal office hours
What information the funeral director will need
What happens after the funeral director is called
Whether the person's funeral wishes can be discussed or recorded
What services and facilities are available
What choices the family may need to make

Contacting a funeral director for advice does not mean that you must immediately begin making detailed arrangements.

For more information, read Can I Contact a Funeral Director Before Someone Dies?.

When should I call following an expected death at home?

If an expected death occurs at home, the HSE advises that there is generally no need to do anything immediately. You may want to spend some time with the person, contact other family members or ask someone to be with you.

However, it is sensible to allow time for the necessary medical and procedural steps. A GP, out-of-hours doctor or other appropriate healthcare professional may need to attend, and this can sometimes take several hours.

When you feel ready, contact the person's GP or the out-of-hours GP service to tell them that the person has died. Delaying this call may delay the later stages of the process, including when the funeral director can take the deceased person into their care.

You may also contact your chosen funeral director at this stage. You do not have to begin making detailed funeral arrangements immediately, but the funeral director can explain what will need to happen and what they can do once the necessary requirements have been completed.

If the person was receiving care at home, the GP, public health nurse or palliative care team may already have explained who should be contacted when the death occurs. Keep those telephone numbers somewhere accessible.

Do I have to call the funeral director during the night?

Not necessarily.

If an expected death occurs at home during the night, the family should contact the out-of-hours doctor so that the necessary verification and documentation process can begin. It may take several hours for the appropriate person to attend, so delaying this call could delay the steps that follow.

The family does not have to contact the funeral director immediately. Many families prefer to wait until the morning before making that call.

However, some may choose to contact the funeral director during the night if they need advice or want to understand what will happen next. Many funeral directors provide an out-of-hours telephone service, but arrangements vary between businesses.

If you are preparing for an expected death at home, you can ask your preferred funeral director in advance:

Whether they should be contacted during the night or the following morning
Which telephone number the family should use
What needs to happen before they can take the person into their care
Whether any local procedures apply

The important distinction is that the medical verification process should be started without unnecessary delay, while the call to the funeral director can usually wait until the family feels ready.

When should I call after a death in hospital?

Hospital staff will explain the immediate procedures when someone dies in hospital.

The death will be verified in the hospital, and staff will tell the family what happens next. When you are ready, you can contact your chosen funeral director and tell them which hospital the person is in.

The funeral director will liaise with the hospital regarding the arrangements for taking the deceased person into their care once the necessary documentation and procedures have been completed.

You do not normally need to make every funeral decision during the first telephone call.

What if the person dies in a hospice or nursing home?

If someone dies in a hospice, nursing home or other residential care setting, the staff will follow the procedures that apply in that facility.

They can explain:

Who will verify the death
Whether a doctor needs to attend
What information the family needs
When the funeral director can be contacted
When the deceased person may be taken into the funeral director's care

You can contact the funeral director selected by the family. You do not have to use a particular funeral director simply because their details are available at the facility.

If a death is expected, you may wish to tell the hospice or nursing home in advance which funeral director the family intends to use.

What should I do if the death is sudden or unexpected?

A sudden, unexpected, unexplained, violent or unnatural death is handled differently from an expected death.

If someone is unresponsive and the death was not expected, or you are uncertain whether they have died, call the emergency services on 112 or 999.

Do not move the person or disturb the area unless instructed to do so by the emergency services or An Garda Síochána.

Certain deaths must be reported to the Coroner. If a death appears to have resulted from unnatural causes, it should be reported to An Garda Síochána, who will notify the Coroner.

The Gardaí, doctor or Coroner's office will explain the next steps. A funeral director can still support the family, but they must wait for permission from the appropriate authorities before taking the deceased person into their care or proceeding with arrangements that depend on the Coroner's direction.

What happens when I telephone the funeral director?

The funeral director will ask some initial questions so they can understand the circumstances and advise you correctly.

These may include:

The name of the person who has died
Where the death occurred
Whether the death was expected
Whether a doctor, hospital, nursing home or hospice is involved
Whether An Garda Síochána or the Coroner has been contacted
The name and contact details of the person making the call
Whether the family has any immediate questions or wishes

You do not need to know every funeral detail before making the call.

The first conversation may simply establish what has happened, what must occur next and when the family will meet or speak with the funeral director to discuss the arrangements.

What if I do not know which funeral director to call?

You can take some time to decide, provided there is no immediate direction from the emergency services or another relevant authority.

Families often choose a funeral director based on:

A previous relationship with the family
The wishes of the person who died
Recommendations from people they trust
The funeral director's location
Available facilities and services
Knowledge of local churches, cemeteries, crematoria and procedures

You can telephone a funeral director to ask about their services before deciding whether to engage them.

Do I need to make all the funeral arrangements immediately?

No.

When you first call, the funeral director will concentrate on the immediate steps and arrange a suitable time to discuss the funeral with the family.

The decisions to be made may include burial or cremation, the wake or reposing, the coffin, the ceremony, transport, notices and other personal details. These do not necessarily have to be decided during the first telephone conversation.

The funeral director should explain the available options and allow the family to remain in control of the decisions.

The key point

You can contact a funeral director before a death or after it occurs. For an expected death at home, contact the GP or out-of-hours service so that the necessary medical procedures can begin. In hospitals and care facilities, staff will guide you through the immediate steps. Sudden or unexpected deaths may require emergency services or Garda involvement.

You do not need to have all the funeral arrangements decided before making the first call.

Related information

Can I Contact a Funeral Director Before Someone Dies?

Sources

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Last reviewed: October 2026

When Should I Call a Funeral Director?