A guide
What to write on a memorial card
Nobody has done this before, and it always comes at the worst possible week. This is what goes on the card, in the order it appears, with the wording Irish families actually use.
The short answer
A memorial card carries four things: the person’s name, their dates, a verse, and a line from the family. The front holds the photograph, the name and the dates. The inside holds the verse and the family’s line. Everything else is optional.
What goes on the front of a memorial card?
The front carries the photograph and the person's name, with the design behind it. Most families use the name they were known by rather than the full legal name — Peggy rather than Margaret — because the card is for the people who knew them. Under the name go the dates, and in Ireland it is usual to write the date of death first in the wording family use aloud: died 3rd March 2026, aged 81 years.
What goes inside a memorial card?
The inside is where the verse sits, and usually a line from the family underneath it. A common pattern is the verse in the centre, then a closing line such as "Always remembered by your loving wife Mary, your sons John and Peter, and your grandchildren". If the person had a particular prayer they said, that goes here instead of a verse.
How do you word the dates on a memorial card?
Two forms are used in Ireland and both are correct. The first gives only the date of death and the age: "Died 3rd March 2026, aged 81 years". The second gives both dates: "3rd January 1945 — 3rd March 2026". Families who want a month's mind or an anniversary card later usually choose the second, because it reads the same on every card that follows.
What do you write on an acknowledgement card after a funeral?
An acknowledgement card thanks people for their sympathy, and it is short by design. The usual wording is: "The family of the late John Murphy wish to express their sincere thanks for your kind expressions of sympathy, Mass cards, letters and floral tributes. Please accept this acknowledgement as a token of our appreciation." A line about the Mass being offered for your intentions is often added underneath.
Should the verse be religious or not?
Whichever suits the person. Roughly half the verses families choose here mention God, Our Lady or the saints, and half do not. There is no expectation either way, and a non-religious verse on a card handed out after a church funeral is common and unremarkable.
How long can the wording be?
A memorial card holds about six to eight lines of verse comfortably alongside a photograph. A wallet card or bookmark holds four to six. If what you send is longer than the space allows we will tell you before anything prints and suggest where it can be trimmed, rather than shrinking the type until it cannot be read.
Can we use our own words?
Yes, and plenty of families do — something written by a grandchild, a line from a song they loved, a prayer that was said at home. Type it into the details form after you order and we set it by hand. There is no extra charge for it.
How soon do we need the wording?
You do not need it when you order. Choose the design and the quantity, pay, and the wording comes afterwards through a private link we email you, at whatever pace suits. Most families send it within a day or two. If you are stuck, ring us on +353 21 2357080 and we will talk it through.
Choosing the verse
There are eighty verses here to read through — 45 of them religious, 29 of them short enough to sit beside a photograph on a wallet card. Note the code of the one you want and send it with your details.