Side by side in heaven

CREESLOUGH TRAGEDY: VILLAGE GATHERS FOR FINAL FUNERALS

- STEPHEN MAGUIRE

• Mass for Shauna, 5, & her dad Robert
• Mourners told of pair’s special bond

A FIVE-YEAR-OLD girl and her doting dad who died together as they shopped for a birthday cake were remembered “side by side” at their joint funeral yesterday. 

Shauna Flanagan-Garwe was the youngest of the 10 victims of the service station explosion in Creeslough, Co Donegal on Friday, October 7.

Her dad Robert Garwe, 50, had taken her to buy a birthday cake for her mum Aine when they were caught in the blast.

They were found by emergency workers wrapped in each other’s arms in the rubble of the awful tragedy.

Fr John Joe Duffy described them as “side by side in the shop” with Mr Garwe “in that split second just wanting to protect his beautiful daughter so very much”.

They will always be remembered as a picture of happiness as they scooted through the village together, their heartbreaking funeral Mass heard.

Shauna and Robert were the last two victims of the horrific tragedy to be laid to rest yesterday

Residents of the tight-knit rural village lined its main street once again for the sixth funeral service for victims of the tragedy in five days.

The family were looking forward to life together living in the village they had moved to live in a year or so ago. Robert was working in construction and Shauna was settling into her first year at Scoil Mhuire National School in the village.

A small wicker casket sat alongside an adult’s wooden coffin at their joint funeral in St Michael’s Church in Creeslough.