New crematorium opens in borough

A NEW era has been ushered in with the opening of the new £5m Antrim and Newtownabbey Crematorium this week.

Located on the Doagh Road, Newtownabbey, the new facility is set back from the main road in a tranquil landscaped setting of native trees and a wildflower meadow, featuring walking paths and seating areas for reflection, whilst a pond will provide a sense of calmness and encourage biodiversity.

Only the second crematorium in Northern Ireland, taking pressure off the hugely-busy Roselawn facility in Belfast, it will offer the latest technology services, providing the very best standard for music, visual tributes and live streaming.

Roselawn has assisted with the training of staff and helping with the initial set-up.

As well as benefiting local residents, it will be available to the whole of Northern Ireland, offering an essential service to families, to ensure that in difficult time’s people can say goodbye to their loved ones in a dignified way.

The crematorium will open Monday-Friday from 9am-4pm offering families a 45 minute service hourly from 10am-3pm.

There will be six slots a day, allowing for a much more relaxed experience.

Pricing for 2023/24 is £475 for residents of the borough and £950 for non-residents.

The Ceremony Room can accommodate 164 people with a waiting room for overflow with screens and speakers.

Interactive tributes can be shown and families can choose up to four songs.

The new Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey Councillor Mark Cooper BEM said: “The new crematorium will provide a crucial service for families across all of Northern Ireland.

“Arranging and attending funeral services is a very difficult and emotional time for all families and our staff who have over 100 years’ experience between them will do everything to support the bereaved in their time of need.

“Due to the lack of burial space the demand for cremations has increased significantly over the past number of years and this new crematorium will provide more options for bereaved families.”

The grounds at the crematorium are being developed further to include a memorial garden with elegant vaults and a scattering lawn, which will offer more choice for bereaved people when thinking about the final resting place for their loved ones ashes, or when choosing a fitting memorial.

There will also be a columbarium - a structure where urns with cremated remains in are kept.

However the trees on the site are not ‘for sale’ for inscriptions.

There is also a separate reception area.

The building is also completely accessible with a disabled toilet available for anyone visiting the grounds at any time, in possession of a radar key.

There is also plenty of parking, with 107 spaces - 94 standard and 12 accessible as well as EV charging points.

The Crematorium welcomes all faiths and services can be tailored to suit individual family requirements.

The Antrim Guardian was given a tour of the site ahead of opening last week.

Like many crematoriums on the mainland and unlike Roselawn, curtains will be drawn around the coffin on the catafaulque rather than it being seen lowered down.

There is also a viewing area for families to have a last moment with their loved one before watching the coffin being placed into the crematorium by the technicians - which is tradition in some cultures.

Stephen Larkin, Chair of the National Funeral Directors Association, said that 75 per cent of families are now choosing cremation and with burial plots at a premium, praised the council’s forward-thinking in construction the crematorium and encouraged other authorities to follow their lead.

“This is a very impressive facility, the ambience is great and it is very peaceful and tranquil,” he said.

“The location is ideal as well, close to main roads and motorways and to the airports.

“It will certainly make our jobs a lot easier and offer more choice.

“When you think of the families up in the north west and the journeys they have to do, it will certainly make things a lot more practical.”

While there are no dedicated catering facilities on site, the council says that it has signposted families to nearby providers and will allow for outside catering at the venue, where appropriate

For more information visit. www.antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk/

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