The youngest victim of the explosion at a petrol station in County Donegal has been described as “a radiant beacon of light, happiness and joy”.
Five-year-old Shauna Flanagan Garwe died in the arms of her father Robert, 50. Their coffins were carried into St Michael’s Church, Creeslough, side by side.
Shauna was shopping for a birthday cake for her mother Aine when the suspected gas blast demolished much of the building, leaving 10 people dead.
Father John Joe Duffy told mourners Shauna “loved her style”.
“She was a girl with beautiful shiny shoes and fantastic coats. She had a spare pencil case for school which had her mirror and other bits to make sure she looked her best.
“A truly wonderful girl who left a lasting impression on all she met. She was a radiant beacon of light, happiness and joy.”
Some of Mr Garwe’s family had travelled from his native Zimbabwe to the isolated part of Ireland that has seen 10 funerals in five days.
Two teenagers from the same college, a mother and her son, and a young woman making her name in design were among the lives lost.
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Ireland’s head of state, President Michael D Higgins, has spent most of the week in the area.
He said: “In a small community, where the relationships are so close and where people have intimate knowledge of families and circumstances, it isn’t a single person or a family that carries that big lash of a terrible tragedy like this, but it is the whole community.”
They have buried their dead but life will never be the same in this remote part of Ireland.
A place renowned for its scenic beauty has been forever changed by this unthinkable tragedy.
In an instant, 10 lives were taken in a coastal village with a population of just 400 people.
Their loss and deep appreciation for the fragility of life summed up by Hamish O’Flaherty, 12, at the funeral of his father James.
He said: “Be grateful for your families, cherish them. Be grateful because they won’t be there forever so use up the time you have wisely.
“Also, be grateful for your own life because that too will not last forever but be grateful for you’ll be able to rest after your hard work.”
