McCool's funeral parlour, Co. Donegal, Ireland - July 2009

[lost]

Thanks to 'resigirl' on flickr who gave me directions to this place, I'd never have found it otherwise!

Opel Rekord hearse

Back room

1948 Dodge hearse. Sorry about the shonky photos, but I was really struggling with the glare and the miserable weather

Mercedes W123 hearse. It stank really badly inside, not just an 'abandoned car' smell

Coffin store

Trolley

Coffin workshop

Shrine

I went back the next day to look at the attached shop. Unfortunately I couldn't quite fit inside, so had to make do with taking rubbish shots through the window

As you can see, the shelves are still stocked and some of the food items apparently have sell-by dates over 30 years old. Quite eerie

 

[banshee]

it's mad how stuff can stay untouched for so long !! that dodge looks great,what could that smell be ?:arghh:

 

[oldscrote]

How cool is this man{somebody had to say it} love the dodge hearse what a great car to do the shopping in.I can;t believe the site is 30 years out of use and not been trashed,robbed,or turned into a heritage centre.

 

[RichardB]

I can't believe they left the door handles on that Merc. It must have been pretty new if the place has been empty for 30 years.

Do you know how it came to be abandoned or why it's been left alone for so long?

 

[lost]

I think it's just the shop part of it that's been abandoned for 30 years. The latest date I could find in the rest of the place was 1996, which seems about right.

 

[djrich]

Wow! Excellent place this, would love to see more of that shop.

 

[resigirl]

Cool Shots!

Great shots dude. Glad u had a cool time. This place is sooo creepy!!

 

[lost]

Hey welcome along, you should add some of your shots here, I am gutted I didn't get into the shop!

 

[Gorecki]

oooooh!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I remember seeing the girls pictures on flickr this place looks ACE! I tell theee.
Kinda reminds me our our local motor graveyard a wee bit.

 

[resigirl]

Hey welcome along, you should add some of your shots here, I am gutted I didn't get into the shop!

I know it's bad!! Maybe sometime soon you can do another trip over. I'd say it will be there for a long time!!

 

[and7barton]

It might be ghoulish, but I'd love my funeral to be held using that old hearse.......just in it's present condition. What a spooky thing that would be.

 

[andym6561]

New to this site, and spent hours looking at everything on here, but this is without a doubt my favourite. Well done to the OP. Gutted that i'me to far away to pay a visit.

 

[escortmad79]

Makes me want to go to Ireland

 

[mamakevf]

Me and a mate was at that site circa 1990 just to look at the old Dodge hearse,undertakers was still in use and had been talking to the owner. Shop was not open.

 

[lost]

That's interesting to hear, do you know anything about the history?

 

[wolfism]

I'm taking a "morbid" interest in the hearses – the Dodge and the Mercedes are great.

 

[Labb]

Really good pictures. This is a very good documentary of what was in the past.

 

[mal33bb]

Great Photo's I Bet if you stuck a New Battery in the Mercedes W123 it would start .

 

[mamakevf]

That's interesting to hear, do you know anything about the history?

Am I allowed to tell the owners name?
That is about all that I know.
My mother is from the area and knows these people very well and can find out a lot more.
From what I can gather the present owner is the son of the original proprieter and carried on with the undertaker bussiness when the parents died, as for the shop I do not know the story with that(possibly rural area and loss of customers through emmigration,death etc.)
It's funny though, I always thought it was a Pub and not a shop, as this was very common in Ireland and is still not unheard of in rural areas and towns.
The owner is not an old man by any means, 60ish, and I know his daughter who is about my age(40ish)
I'll get back after I ask me mam

 

[lost]

Yes, northern Scotland has a lot of rural pubs and inns too, out on their own in the middle of nowhere.
I look forward to hearing more, thanks!