By 
THE funeral of a young Tyrone man whose body was recovered from the River Lee in Cork on St Stephen’s Day will take place today.
Shea McCabe from Pomeroy entered the river in the early hours of Thursday, December 18, after what his family described as a ‘freak accident’.
A huge search operation was launched and Shea’s body was found on St Stephen’s Day, December 26.
The Tyrone man’s family set up a GoGundMe page to assist with repatriating Shea’s body to Pomeroy, covering funeral expenses and supporting his three-year-old son, Cahan.
They also want to make a donation to the volunteer groups involved in the search for Shea to repay them for their ‘incredible efforts’.
To date, their campaign has raised more than £26,000.
Shea will be buried today following Requiem Mass at the Church of the Assumption In Pomeroy at 12 noon.
Posting on the GoFundMe page, Shea’s sister Stacey said that they are ‘heartbroken’ by his death.
“A freak accident turned into our worst nightmare, his body was lovingly recovered thanks to the incredible efforts of the rescue services in Cork. We are deeply grateful to every person involved in bringing him back to us.
“Shea’s body now needs to be brought home from Cork to Pomeroy, and we want nothing more than to lay him to rest with dignity and love. The costs of transport and funeral arrangements have placed a heavy financial burden on the family at a time when we are already struggling with overwhelming grief.”
Stacey said Shea’s death was the latest tragedy to hit their family in recent years.
“Our family lost Sheas brother Jason in October 2023 & our mother just 7 months later in May 2024. Coping with so much loss in such a short space of time has been unbearable for our family.”
She thanked people for their ‘kindness, support, and compassion’.
