Irish church cracks down on "a la carte" funerals

Downing pints of beer and telling blue jokes at funeral services will no longer be tolerated by Roman Catholic priests in Ireland.

In a crackdown against the growing trend towards "a la carte" funerals, mourners have been warned against placing photos and football shirts on coffins.

The worst examples of inappropriate behaviour cited by priests range from cans of beer being consumed in memory of the deceased during one eulogy to women's underwear being displayed on another occasion.

One eulogy was even delivered in the style of a best man's speech together with risque jokes.

But now the National Centre for Liturgy, which looks after church rituals, has announced moves to curb such irreligious behaviour.

Spokesman Father Patrick Jones said the guidelines were intended to promote best practice rather than tell relatives how to grieve.

"Funerals often take place soon after the death and there is often not a lot of time for the family to make all the proper arrangements," he said.

That sometimes leads to inappropriate comments being made by friends or relations which could cause offence.

The guidelines suggest that mementoes of the dead person should be not be placed on the coffin so as not to "displace the Christian symbols representing the baptismal calling of the diseased".

Instead a space should be provided for them nearby.

This isn't the first time the clergy have stepped in to halt the march towards secular-style church services.

Earlier this year, pop songs were given the boot from weddings in County Kerry, in the south-west of Ireland.

Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" from the film Titanic had been a popular request.