This article is from page 8 of the 2013-04-30 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 8 JPG
AN EAST Clare businessman could be on the verge of changing the way that people are buried forever. Killaloe-based inventor Bar ry Spearman has founded the company New Age Memorials – Europe’s first provider of fiberglass headstone.
According to Bar ry, his new headstone could save people thousands in cleaning and other costs when compared to traditions headstones. The idea for fiberglass headstones came to him about two years ago, when he was tr ying to clean one of his own family headstones.
“I was quoted € 250 for sandblasting and re-lettering which I thought was excessive. Then I bought various stone cleaning chemicals and none of them worked well,” he said.
“Up to that time, I had not thought about the ongoing costs involved in maintaining headstones and it was only when I mentioned it to other people I discovered that a whole industry of cleaning headstones had come into existence.
“I thought there must be a modern material, with similar properties to stone, but without the drawbacks, that could be used just as efficiently.”
Barr y had his Eureka moment while fishing on Lough Derg.
“Every few months, a bit of surface mould might grow where rain has lodged, but this is easily brushed off. This boat, li ke 90 per cent of all modern boats, is made from marine grade fibreglass. I had found my headstone material,” he said.
Spearman set up the company in May 2012, and has been working with a number of companies trying to perfect moulds, finishes, designs and the manufacturing process.
“I discovered that a design for a fibreglass headstone was patented in 1973 in the US. This patent has now lapsed and the design was totally different from mine,” he said.
“Now that the product has been perfected I hope to sell directly to the public in order to keep the purchase costs down. This would not happen if sold through under takers. I have just begun to advertise in the local papers and free sheets and also by putting posters up in shops and so on.”