IMMG’s mission extends far beyond teaching technical skills. Their programmes emphasise safety, respect, heritage, and dignity in burial practices, alongside the highest professional standards for gravediggers, funeral directors, local authority staff, and operators of heritage graveyards.
Excellence Through Experience
The strength of IMMG’s approach lies in its deep industry experience. Their instructors have over 20 years of hands-on expertise in memorial masonry and gravedigging, ensuring that every element of training is grounded in real-world practice.
IMMG is also City & Guilds Assured, meaning their courses meet internationally recognised benchmarks for curriculum design, delivery, assessment, and learner support. This accreditation ensures that participants not only gain valuable knowledge but also receive training that has been rigorously evaluated against the highest external standards.
In addition, IMMG delivers a balance of classroom learning and practical, field-based experience, ensuring participants develop skills that are immediately applicable in their workplaces. From soil assessment and safe shoring techniques to heritage preservation and ethical handling procedures, IMMG’s training covers every aspect of the profession.
Course Offerings
Gravedigging (Hand Digging & Shoring) Course
- Duration: 2 days, in person
- Location: Cashel, Co. Tipperary
- Class Size: Minimum 4, maximum 8 participants
This course includes safe excavation techniques using hand tools, shoring methods to prevent wall collapse, soil stability assessment, and the ethical and safety considerations unique to grave excavation. It is designed for cemetery workers, local authority staff, funeral directors, and those new to the industry.
Sector-Specific and Management Courses IMMG also delivers “New Management” programmes for those progressing into supervisory or managerial roles within the burial sector, along with additional modules focused on regulation, heritage care, and operational safety. These ensure that every level of the profession is supported — from hands-on workers to those overseeing burial ground operations.
Partnership with CQAS
Curriculum Quality Assurance Solutions (CQAS) is proud to work in partnership with IMMG in the development and quality assurance of these innovative training programmes.
CQAS brings extensive expertise in designing and validating high-quality vocational education. Their collaboration with IMMG ensures that every programme meets the highest standards of curriculum integrity, learner experience, and industry relevance.
This partnership reflects a shared commitment to raising standards across the burial and memorial sectors — ensuring that all training is robust, ethical, and professionally recognised. CQAS’s involvement guarantees that IMMG’s courses are not only compliant with international quality benchmarks but also responsive to the evolving needs of the industry.
Why This Training Matters
- Safety: Burial ground operations involve real physical risk. Comprehensive training reduces accidents and ensures safe working environments.
- Respect & Ethics: Handling human remains and caring for memorial sites demand the utmost professionalism and cultural sensitivity.
- Professional Recognition: External assurance, including City & Guilds and CQAS oversight, provides participants with credentials that enhance trust, employability, and compliance.
- Heritage Preservation: Many Irish graveyards are of historical importance. Proper training ensures these spaces are maintained with care and respect.
A Standard-Bearer for the Future
The Institute of Memorial Masons & Gravediggers (IMMG) continues to set the benchmark for training in this specialist field. With its combination of practical expertise, external accreditation, and its partnership with Curriculum Quality Assurance Solutions (CQAS), IMMG is ensuring that those who work in the burial and memorial sectors uphold the highest levels of safety, dignity, and professionalism.
Through this collaboration, both organisations are helping to preserve Ireland’s heritage, strengthen industry standards, and ensure that those who serve in these essential roles receive the recognition and quality education they deserve.
