‘A life cut short’ - the late Shane Keenaghan, Ballyshannon

The unexpected death of Shane Keenaghan, from Coolcholly in Ballyshannon, was greeted with a huge outpouring of deep sadness and sympathy in his beloved Erne Town and the wider communities of south Donegal last week. 

Fr Paddy Dunne P.P. the chief celebrant at the Funeral Mass was joined by Fr Dermot Burke P.E. at the altar of St Patrick’s Church on Thursday for his Funeral Mass.

Fr Dunne in welcoming friends and family, also welcomed his family in the AA community as well as his many extended friends and family who were so much a part of Shane’s life and “so many people that he helped and supported and walked with”.   

Fr Dunne described Shane’s passing as “a life cut short, a life so lived for a young man, we come together to give thanks to God for the gift of his beautiful life, the beautiful gift of his love and his big heart”.

Later in his Homily Fr Dunne said that hearing from neighbours even from a young child and climbing over a fence “with a big smile on his face and I don’t think that ever left him by the sounds of it. There was that mischievous, good humoured, joyful, fun-loving heart that was in him”.

“The death of Shane comes as a terrible shock to all of you, to the community, to his family here today and to all his extended family and to the AA community as well, in a very special way and our hearts go out to you today at your loss, the loss of a fine big man, big son, colourful in so many different ways. All I’ve heard of is his wonderful sense of humour.”

“And a coffee cup. Someone said the cup started with drink, next was coffee and it ended up with chia, tea. And that was symbolising the journey of Shane. 

“When you met him, he was carrying the cup with a big warm smile, a wave and a big hello for ya. And people say that, when they met him he was an absolute gentleman, that big heart of an embrace where you were welcomed and very quickly felt that you knew Shane all your life, that he had that gift to make people feel comfortable with him and at home with him where he celebrated that they could be themselves with him, and just relax where they could be their very very self.

Fr Dunne described his many loves, going back to basketball days, athletics, stories of fun and mischief, swimming, music and travel that took him from Vietnam to Australia. A trip to Istanbul was also in the offing before his passing, he told the packed congregation.

“He had many loves in life, but his biggest love was family and his big love for people. Whoever he met, he treated them with the greatest dignity and respect and he didn’t like the news. I was told that if the news was on, he would pull out the plug."

This was followed by his well known ability to “talk straight”. 

Fr Dunne referenced Shane’s 20 years of sobriety which appeared to be a combination of St Padre Pio and the AA. 

Fr Dunne and Shane’s family had been deeply touched by the many stories and the “beautiful path of the AA, the path of freedom within yourself” and that family, many of whom had travelled distances to recall how Shane had saved their lives.

“You can’t say much more than that, can you, about somebody?. It is the biggest compliment that you can give, to love others, to help others, to carry others because he had suffered, he had walked the journey and was still walking the journey.”

Shane’s work with the Alzheimer’’s Society was also recalled.

“It wasn’t work for Shane. It was his vocation,” Fr Dunne recalled as he had been repeatedly told of the deceased's care and his ability to treat people with Alzheimer’s “with utmost dignity and absolute respect”. It was “a labour of love”.

He said that Shane's ability to talk on the journey of life and “to lift you up” whether through humour or chat, “a humble man full of the spirit of God”.  

A spiritual man, whose loss was a huge loss for family and community, “a tragedy of a life cut short, but talk about a life lived, a life well lived, a life lived to the full, a life that gave to the full in every way, a life that helped so many people and I was just asked to say a wee line that the ‘personification of attraction, not promotion’ summed up Shane’s life.  

The parish priest had also been asked by Shane’s mother, Maureen to remind people that there is always hope and not to lose heart, don’t give up for there is always a good ending, and to “and carry on the mantle of Shane’s work”. 

Shane will be sadly missed by his mother Maureen, father Sean, brother Pauric (Yvonne) and sister Donna (Stephen). 

He will be remembered by his nieces and nephews Lisa, Pauric, Ryan, Michael, and Mary Kate, his aunties, uncles, cousins and his large circle of friends in the AA family. 

Shane will be forever remembered by his partner Elaine and to all, deepest and most sincere sympathy is extended.

Late ‘Big’ Jim McPhelim (83), Ballyshannon was matched by his 'big character'

Parish Priest Fr Paddy Dunne said that ‘Big Jim’ as he was better known, always brought a smile to people's faces as his presence would alone “always be a bit of craic and a bit of slagging, devilment and humour”

After the Funeral Mass in St. Patrick's Church, Ballyshannon for Mass of the Resurrection interment took place in the Abbey Assaroe Cemetery.

Donations in lieu of flowers to the Sheil Hospital Patients Comfort Fund c/o Patrick McKenna Funeral Directors, Ballyshannon or any family member.