A Dublin-based funeral director says his family held a virtual wake for his father, who died from the coronavirus.

Michael Doyle says his father, also named Michael, was 91 and had been living alone since his wife died two years ago.

But the father and son had become closer in recent times.

Michael Junior told Lunctime Live: "I got to see him three times a day, I got his breakfast, dinner and tea.

"We ate dinner everyday for the last couple of years, he became a great friend to me, I felt very privileged that I was able to have that connection with him at the end of his life."

His father developed what they thought was a common chest infection last week - but it turned out to be the coronavirus.

"Unfortunately the next day he just went downhill."

"That was Tuesday and on Wednesday we called an ambulance.

"He hadn't any markers for the virus - in fact his blood pressure was actually better than mine at the time, I was quite amused by that.

"But he went downhill very quickly and unfortunately, having been admitted to hospital on Wednesday, we were informed on Thursday that he had confirmed positive for the virus - and on Friday at about 2.00 he slipped away".

Funeral restrictions mean that any gathering has to be limited to 10 attendees.

However the family is self-isolating, since they had all been in close contact with Michael Senior.

But Michael Junior says his son set up a Zoom chat with the whole family and "we had a virtual wake here on Monday evening."

"We had people calling in from my sister in Germany, sister in Birmingham, all the grandchildren, from New York, from Scotland.

"We had music and stories and eulogy - it was lovely, it really was lovely."

"It was different but it was the only way we could do it because unfortunately after my father died, because we were in very close contact with him, we all are now in isolation because of it".

"My own team, my own funeral team, took great care of Dad.

"They took him to Glasnevin Cemetery and we were able to set up a Zoom call as well.

"One of my team worked behind the hearse to the graveside, which actually felt like we were all there.

"And we had a piper play the Lament at the graveside and our local priest, Fr Richard Highland, obliged me by coming to the graveside and giving funeral prayers.

"It was wonderful to hear the family from all over the place joining in with the prayers, and that's the way it was".