The Irish and American Wake - David McGowan

David McGowan (CEO McGowan’s Funeral Home) will give a talk at the Foley and McGowan Buildings, Collooney, Co. Sligo on the theme "The Irish and American Wake".

David McGowan comes from Easkey, Co. Sligo. From an early age, David became interested in the funeral business, and began exploring it as a specialist full-time career choice.

In the seventies, finding information in Ireland about this was an arduous task, but David became increasingly determined to learn more.

When David finished school, he decided to pursue a career in the funeral business. He saw a need to improve the way deceased persons were prepared for funerals. He also felt that more could be done to help the bereaved to cope with the trauma of a death.

This quest has led him on a lifelong path of learning and sharing of knowledge with others, always keeping the best interest of the deceased and bereaved dear to his heart.

In November 2019, a documentary called ‘The Funeral Director’ about David and his life was aired on RTÉ 1 and stole the hearts of the nation. Since then, he has been called upon as the correspondent for television shows such as ‘Claire Byrne Live’ and all national radio stations. Recently, David published a book: A Life Among The Dead: Stories from an Irish Funeral Director.

This event has been organised by Sligo Field Club in collaboration with David McGowan. Prebooking on Eventbrite is required as places are limited.