Death doesn't have an adverse effect on me. From an early age I knew of it. My gran lived to be 102 and there was always the threat of death around her. It's a part of life.

If something in my life isn't going great and I'm having difficult calls at work, I may feel unhappy temporarily, but then I used to work in financial PR. My heart was never in that job. I'm very happy to be useful here. Half the pay, twice the satisfaction.

There's this idea that people are unhappy speaking about death. It's not true. Often they call and tell me their experience of good funerals and bad funerals. In return I can tell them about cardboard coffins, or bamboo, wicker, banana leaf or water hyacinth. It's made me think about my own death. I've decided I'll be buried in Donegal. At the funeral they'll play a bit of Van the Man - Van Morrison. I want some Sinead O'Connor to get everyone crying.

It's amazing what people don't know. You can't transport a body uncovered but you can go to the mortuary, collect the body, bring it home and put it in a bed if you're going to have a wake. You can order your coffin, get it delivered, have a ceremony and go to the graveyard. You don't need a funeral director.

It helps people when they can participate in big or small ways. It's not for everybody but you can, for instance, drive your father to the cemetery. Knowing that makes some people happy.