The youngest victim of the blast at a County Donegal petrol station was described as ‘a beaming beacon of light, happiness and joy’.
Shauna Flanagan Garwe, five, died in the arms of her father Robert, 50. Their coffins were carried side by side into St Michael’s Church in Creeslough.
Shauna was buy a birthday cake for his mother Aine when the alleged gas explosion demolished much of the building, leaving 10 dead.
Father John Joe Duffy told mourners that Shauna “loves her style”.
“She was a girl with beautiful, shiny shoes and fantastic coats. She had a spare pencil case for school that had her mirror and other items to make sure she looked her best.
“A truly wonderful girl who left a lasting impression on everyone she met. She was a ray of light, happiness and joy.”
Five-year-old Shauna Flanagan Garwe
Robert Garwe, 50
Some of Mr Garwe’s family had traveled from his native Zimbabwe to the remote part of Ireland which saw 10 funerals in five days.
Two teenagers from the same college, a mother and son, and a young woman who has made a name for herself in design are among the lives lost.
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The Irish president spoke after the funeral of the youngest victim of a petrol station explosion in County Donegal.
Ireland’s head of state, President Michael D Higgins, has spent most of the week in the region.
He said: “In a small community, where relationships are so close and people have such intimate knowledge of families and circumstances, it’s not just one person or one family that delivers that big boost of a terrible tragedy like this, but it’s the whole community.”
