James McMullan & Son Funeral Directors have been caring for and serving our local community since 1905.
Funeral Directors in Northern Ireland
Our Story
Established in the Aghadowey area by Andrew McMullan (senior), a draper and tailor by trade, in the early part of the last century. It was in this district that the business carried out their first recorded funeral in 1905.
In the 1950’s his son James joined the business. Following his father’s death in 1967, James took over the business of K.L. McAteer in Ballymoney and it was from here that our business has traded ever since.
The business developed from small local undertakers to being professionally qualified Funeral Directors. A Rest Room was built in 1984 and has since been extended and refurbished twice, most recently in 2016.
In 1992 James’ son Andrew joined the firm, and he is running the business today.
Andrew and his staff are professionally qualified with Andrew holding the Diploma in Funeral Directing, Diploma in Funeral Service Management and has been a member of The British Institute of Embalmers since 1987. Staff members hold the Diploma in Funeral Directing and Diploma in Funeral Arranging and Administration.
Our Vision and Values
Our aim as Independent Funeral Directors is to provide a caring, dignified and complete funeral service for our community.
We achieve this by our experience, our care and our respect for both the living and the dead, whilst striving to provide the best facilities and professional standards. Our dedication to those we serve, comes from a proud heritage where an appreciation of local customs and expectations has always existed.
Our Services & Facilities
Our services as professional Funeral Directors mean we are here for you, before, during and after the funeral. We will listen, plan, compassionately advise and act on your behalf to create a fitting tribute to the life of your loved one.
- We will liaise with doctors, clergy, cemeteries/crematorium, hospitals and other service providers, give guidance and complete any necessary paperwork and take care of all matters regarding the deceased.
- We can place a death notice in the obituary section of the newspaper of your choice. This notice can be added to our website and may be personalised by the addition of photographs.
- On your behalf, we can order flower arrangements/wreaths.
- If you prefer donations in lieu of flowers to be given to your favourite charity, we will administer the collection, provide you with a list of contributors, and forward the monies to the charity on your behalf.
- We can print Orders of Service which may contain personal hymns and photographs and can be taken away as a keepsake of the day.
- A choice of condolence books is available, in which names of those in attendance at a funeral may be recorded. A memory board may be used to display family photographs. Reserved seat markers can be supplied for use in churches.
- A canopy which provides cover for immediate family members and a wireless PA system are both available for use at home or the graveside.
- After the funeral has taken place you will find that there are many things left to do. We can advise….
- We understand what a difficult and confusing time it is when a friend or relative dies away from home. With our experience in planning for the repatriation to and from Northern Ireland, we are able to coordinate the practicalities and documentation necessary for bringing your loved one home.
At James McMullan & Son, our facilities in Kilrea have an office and viewing room whilst our larger Ballymoney facilities include:
- a large funeral Church with seating for 100 and incorporating a Family Room and viewing rooms.
- a private yard facilitating some car parking and featuring a small memorial garden area. (There is a large public car park adjacent to our property.)
- a fully equipped mortuary
- offices and garages for our Mercedes fleet
- coffin selection room
- a flower showroom with an extensive range of silk flower wreaths and sprays.
- a memorial showroom with a range of granite headstones and vases.
Memberships
We hold membership of the following associations:
The National Association of Funeral Directors has been helping Funeral Directors care for the bereaved since 1905 and is the longest established trade association within the profession.
The comforting knowledge that your loved ones are being cared for by professionals who are qualified members of the British Institute of Embalmers.
Membership in Selected Independent Funeral Homes is by invitation only, and is extended to funeral homes only after a thorough evaluation of their reputation, character, service and professionalism.