31 March 2025
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
RHEA Family Funeral Care, an funeral care business that provides a range of practical supports and creative solutions to people at the time of organising a funeral, has been named the Best New Business at the prestigious Cork Business Association, Cork Business of the Year awards 2025. The awards, which took place on Saturday in the Vienna Woods Hotel were judged by a distinguished panel comprising Dr Niall O’Keeffe, Head of Enterprise at Cork City Council, Martin O’Brien, JCD Group, Deirdre Cole, Fáilte Ireland, Alan Healy, Irish Examiner, Evelyn O’Sullivan, Cork Convention Bureau, Terence McSweeney Elis Glanmire, Dave O’Brien, Xeinadin and Cork Business Association President and Lord Mayor, Cllr Dan Boyle. In addition to the judge’s assessment, 50% of the decision was determined by public vote.
“We are honoured and delighted to be recognised by the CBA judges and for the support from the public. We know from the work we do that funerals are changing in Ireland and we are meeting that change with personalised, compassionate and practical support.” Says Dara O’Shea, co-founder.
Founded by Dara O’Shea and Louise O’Brien, RHEA Family Funeral Care is celebrated for bringing innovation to funeral care and redefining how we honour loved ones.
Coming from extensive careers in event management, Dara and Louise’s combined expertise ensures every aspect of a funeral is thoughtfully crafted and professionally executed to create unforgettable and seamless funeral services. Louise has an extensive background in the charity sector and arts sector, with a wonderful way with words and a deep knowledge of music, allowing her to create personalised and meaningful ceremonies. Dara has worked as an executive planner for high-profile events, political campaigns and royal visits, bringing top-level attention to detail and meticulous planning to every service they organise. Together, they have developed a signature style that makes every funeral meaningful, memorable and most importantly, less stressful for their client families.
Saying goodbye is one of life’s most significant moments. Like weddings and other milestones, it deserves to be handled with care, thoughtfulness, and attention to detail. RHEA Family Funeral Care recognised that there is a huge need for extra support and a service to help guide families over the difficult days of a funeral and ensure everything is planned so that they can focus on what truly matters—being present with their loved ones in the moment of farewell.
“A family who are grieving should be able to wrap their arms around each other, their children, their grandchildren, to come to terms with what’s happening, while we as professionals are getting the work done,” says Dara.
RHEA create bespoke funeral experiences that reflect the unique life of each individual. Their approach combines compassion and professionalism, ensuring that every detail is handled with precision and creativity. They specialise in capturing the right tone and atmosphere, allowing families to focus on their own healing and finding closure.
“When we arrive at the home of a family we are focused, clear-minded and empathetic for their pain but it’s not our pain. We are not going into a funeral with the exhaustion, headache and stress that the family are going through. We turn up with an open heart and a head full of ideas and solutions for them,” says Louise.
Louise is a qualified funeral celebrant and as part of their service, RHEA offers civil funeral ceremonies which involves writing and delivering a ceremony outside of a church setting or following a funeral mass, for example at the crematorium. Ceremonies can be non-religious or include family prayers.
“It is a very special feeling to be of service to a family at a time of loss. It is poignant moment and a privilege to look after them in the crematorium, as they prepare to leave their loved one for the final time.” she says
RHEA’s business is going from strength to strength, with referrals steadily growing due to the signature way they carry out every funeral. However, Louise and Dara believe that this level of care and personalization should not be reserved for high-profile funerals. They are passionate about ensuring that every funeral—no matter the scale—carries the same intentional meaning and personal touch.