A special night to be held in memory of Tanya Dunne

When 42-year-old Tanya’s Dunne’s heart-breaking funeral took place at the end of December last in Bundoran, on what would have been her fifth wedding anniversary, chief celebrant and relative Fr Anthony O’Shea P.P. revealed that one of Tanya's friends had described her, “as an amazing, powerful and inspirational lady”.

Anyone, who was ever blessed by Tanya’s presence or knew her, would easily concur.

It was one of the largest funerals which had taken place in south Donegal for some time.

Tanya R.I.P. and husband Rory attending the Ireland v Italy Rugby International at the Aviva Stadium in February of 2022

And now, on Friday October 27, on what would have been her 43rd birthday, her husband Rory Dunne, who works with Abbott of Donegal and helps manage the Bundoran Realt na Mara GAA reserve/development squad, is organising a special tribute in her memory at the Great Northern Hotel in Bundoran.

Indeed, Tanya herself, was at various times, involved with Erne Gaels, Aodh Ruadh and Bundoran LGFA in different capacities.  

Rory spoke in the most loving terms of how he had been working as a manager at the Phoenix Tavern Bundoran.

Through a mutual work colleague, who worked at Saimer Childcare in Ballyshannon but who also did some part-time work in the Bundoran pub, on the weekends, he was introduced to Tanya. 

It was June 2011, and from the first time that Rory set eyes on Tanya, he was smitten.

A mutual love of travel including a number of trips to New York followed and they got engaged at a friend’s wedding in Malta in 2014 (with the friend’s advance blessing, of course!). The couple themselves got married in 2017. 

He said poignantly: “We only got five years together, as she was buried on what would have been our 5th wedding anniversary, but I am also so deeply thankful to have been able to spend that precious time with Tanya.”

He also said that the support, kindness, love and help that both he and Tanya received during the later difficult times, was a huge comfort to Tanya; something that he would never forget. 

The late Tanya Dunne, who despite her own illness, was always thinking of others

Rory now hopes to raise much needed funding for SHOUT, the Sligo University Hospital Oncology Unit Trust and to mirror some of the amazing community fundraising involvement and support that his late wife both gave and received from the communities of her native Belleek, Ballyshannon where she was a preschool child care manager at the Saimer Community Childcare Group and Bundoran, which for many years was her home.

Rory told DonegalLive.ie: “Through it all her strength and courage gives me that same courage to go and do what I am doing now. 

“She was unbelievable with an amazing inner strength that fortified her, even up to her last breath. With the fundraiser that brought her to Mexico (for medical treatment), she never gave up. 

“We never asked at the start what is the actual stage (of the cancer) but I think the two of us kind of knew anyway and obviously I found out in Mexico myself. We kind of knew but did not want to ask in person. 

“It was one thing that Tanya said and that is that she did not want to know. In that frame of mind, she was determined that she was going to beat it.”

Rory explained that the first time they returned from Mexico, there was some good news and some of the tumours had reduced in size by half, but then there was a bit of a delay because of Covid at which stage, Tanya was receiving treatment in Derry’s Altnagelvin, before later transferring to Sligo.  

Rory said that her illness had begun as a colon/rectal cancer, before later spreading to the liver and lungs, eventually making its way to her brain. 

Another of Rory's favourite photos of himself with his late beloved wife, Tanya Dunne (née O'Shea) 

He had earlier found out that her diagnosis had reached the critical stage four, but again Tanya was adamant, in continuing her battle, to keep such information from herself, no matter what, until the word ‘terminal’ was said by her consultant in Sligo, just weeks before her passing.       

Again during her treatments, despite her own battles, Tanya appealed on a number of occasions, to women who were displaying any symptoms, consistent with hers, should immediately present themselves to a doctor without delay, as time was of the essence, when it came to such a diagnosis.  

Rory added: “She was amazing in that way. Even while dealing with her own issues, she was always thinking about others.”

So on what will be a very special night on October 27, music will be provided by local artists and special guests and there will be a raffle on the night for a seven day Spanish holiday and many other prizes for just €20 a ticket, which will be widely available locally.

Tickets are available from the Great Northern Hotel, Reception Desk; SuperValu, Bundoran

Simpsons Supermarket, Bundoran as well as Centra in both Belleek and Ballyshannon.

Alternatively, if you can not attend and still wish to donate you can do so via Revolut @rory92isy.

Doors open at 7.30pm in what is widely expected to be a sell out evening in honour of a most beautiful person and a most worthy cause.