The business was founded in or around 1890 by Thomas 'Big Tom' Sharkey (1871 to 1945) and his wife Maria (neé Casey) at a time when such services were called undertaking and often simply meant supply of a coffin and hearse. Big Tom also ran sawmills and a forge and so undertaking was a natural addition. From 1945 to 1988 the business was run by Thomas (Tommy) Sharkey (1917-2002) and his wife Mamie (neé Lavin). The third generation Thomas (Tom) Sharkey and his wife Mary (neé Griffin) carried on the business together from 1988 to 2008. The current proprietors are Thomas (Tommy) and Bernie Sharkey (neé Walsh).
Now in the fourth generation, Sharkey Funeral Directors continue to provide professional service and advice in all aspects of funeral arrangements and funeral services. We hope to continue doing so for many years to come.Written by Tom Sharkey III of Sharkey Funeral Directors, the following article appeared in an industry journal in 2003.
Sharkey Funeral Directors, 100 years of caring tradition.
Tom Sharkey & Sons have been funeral directors for more than four generations. At the beginning of the last century Tom Sharkey I, was the proprietor of an extensive business in Ballaghaderreen that included sawmills, forge, coach building, joinery and coffin and casket manufacturing works.
Irish-American poet William Brendan McPhillips was born in the Bronx on April 4th, 1937. His poetry anthology "The Place" contains over one hundred poems, a significant portion of which deal with discovering his ancestry in Ballaghaderreen, Co. Roscommon in the west of Ireland. One of these poems surrounds his memories of Sharkey Funeral Directors, captured in his poem "In Sharkey's Yard".
Irish TV programme "Roscommon County Matters" paid us a visit to take a look at the long tradition of caring for people at their time of death at Sharkey Funeral Home in Ballaghaderreen. To skip directly to our part go to the 12 minute mark.