Funeral arrangements for young Mayo mother after tragic passing

The funeral of the late Shannon McDonald will take place in Ballinrobe this evening.

Grief and sadness has filled the south Mayo town following Shannon’s passing at University Hospital, Galway on Sunday after a long battle with cancer.

Shannon will repose at St Joseph’s Funeral Home, Ballinrobe, this evening from 5pm with removal at 7pm to her home.

Requiem mass will take place Wednesday, 12 noon, at St Mary’s Church, Ballinrobe, followed by burial in the town’s New Cemetery.

The funeral mass can be viewed on Church TV.ie. 

A loving mother to her eight-year-old daughter Alanna, Shannon was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020. The cancer had spread to the oesophagus in 2021 and just last year they found it had spread to the collarbone and neck area. She had been receiving targeted treatment throughout her journey.

The community of Ballinrobe rallied together to support Shannon, and recently attempted to raise money for treatment in Europe.

Her father, Paul, and sister, Mariah, set up a GoFundMe page to help support her through her long battle with cancer, which raised over €85,000.

Yesterday, Mariah paid tribute to her sister on the GoFundMe page, and said: “We would like to thank each and every one of you for the support, generosity & kindness, Despite all our planning to get her to Germany & Spain this awful disease didn't give us enough time & we are devastated to say that our beautiful Shannon passed away Sunday evening surrounded by all her loving family.

“Shannon fought until the very end, she never let this awful disease stop her from doing what she wanted, and she kept smiling the whole time through, Our hearts will be broken forever. Shannon was the light of our life, she brought so much joy into all our lives from the day she was born, Rest in peace our beautiful Angel”.

Shannon was to celebrate her thirty-first birthday later this month.