Before Christmas Wedding, Sergeant Ross Dunne Lost Cancer Battle

Sergeant Ross Dunne, a member of the Irish Defence Forces and the CIS Squadron of the Irish Air Corps based at Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnel, died on 15 September 2026 at Our Lady's Hospice in Harold's Cross, Dublin, following a diagnosis of oesophageal cancer that had metastasised to his liver. He was 28 years old. His fiancée, Lorna Coffey, a fellow peacekeeper from Blarney, County Cork, has led tributes to the man she describes as her "true soulmate," confirming that the couple had planned to marry this Christmas.

Daily Dazzling Dawn understands that Sergeant Dunne and Ms Coffey met in 2023 while both were serving with the Irish Army in Lebanon. Ms Coffey recounted the moment their relationship began during an appearance on Cork's 96FM Opinion Line with Paul Byrne, explaining that Sergeant Dunne, originally from Dublin, had spent two weeks attempting to arrange a coffee with her before approaching her directly in the gym.

"He was asking the women staying in the rooms with me and stuff if they'd go out for a coffee and, 'Can you ask the new girl if she'll come out for a coffee as well?'" she said. "So that's the way that went. And then finally, he worked up the courage to come up to me in the gym, because I kept declining the coffee. But unfortunately for Ross, I had big headphones on. So I was in the middle of doing a deadlift, and when I stood up and I looked straight ahead of me, I could just see this beautiful man standing in front of me, tattooed from head to toe. I could just see his lips moving, but I didn't have a clue what he was saying."

They returned from Lebanon on leave in September 2023, when Sergeant Dunne asked Ms Coffey to be his girlfriend. The couple subsequently undertook a second deployment from November 2024 until late 2025, saving towards a home, and became engaged during a period of leave in May 2025, flying back to serve the following day.

It was during this second deployment that Sergeant Dunne began to experience persistent pain in the back of his head and in his back. On returning home in November 2025, he sought medical advice. Daily Dazzling Dawn understands that he was diagnosed with cancer in January 2026, aged 28, following tests at Tallaght Hospital.

Ms Coffey recalled: "So there was something in his oesophagus, and then they did scans on his liver. First they thought it could be fatty liver, or they didn't know what it was, so they were doing more tests. So at that time, the doctor had suspected that there was something there and it might be sinister, but they weren't 100% of answers as of yet. So it was in that time we spent a week in Tallaght Hospital, and they did every test under the sun, and it was when they came back that it was confirmed that he had oesophageal cancer that had metastasised to the liver."

Sergeant Dunne began chemotherapy shortly afterwards. Throughout his treatment, he maintained what those close to him described as remarkable resilience, frequently joking with family and friends. According to Ms Coffey, he adopted a personal mantra that came to define his outlook: "I have cancer, cancer doesn't have me." When he learned he would lose his hair, he took control of the process himself, shaving his beard and having his hair cut short. "He said, 'I'm going to do this. I'm not going to let cancer take this away from me,'" she recalled.

In August 2026, Sergeant Dunne's health deteriorated further and he began receiving palliative support. He was admitted to Our Lady's Hospice & Care Services in early September, where staff provided the couple with a double bed and television so they could spend his final days together watching films.

"He was still able to talk and laugh and joke - so much so to the fact that when all his family started coming in, he said, 'I should have been admitted to another hospital.' And they said, 'Why?' And he said, 'Because there's only one visitor allowed!' That was just him, he was so funny," Ms Coffey said.

He died on Tuesday, 15 September 2026, surrounded by his family and his fiancée. "I was in the bed with Ross, and my arms were around him at the time, and all his family were there as well. His mom and dad, and his brother and his partner were all there, and we were all holding him, and we told him it's okay and that we would be okay," she said.

Ms Coffey is now fundraising for Our Lady's Hospice & Care Services in gratitude for the care her partner received. A charity quiz for family and friends will be held at the Muskerry Arms in Blarney on Friday, 4 December, with a raffle open to the public from 9pm. At the time of writing, her iDonate campaign had raised more than €16,000 of its €20,000 target.

"I don't want Ross to be defined as the person who had cancer. I want Ross to be remembered as the courageous, brave, funny, loving character he was," she said. "We were true soulmates, and we could be alone for hours and that would be our happy place. We could just speak and laugh. I've never had anybody make me laugh as much as Ross could. He was an incredible, incredible person, and I'll never forget a minute of what we had."

Sergeant Dunne had previously served in Lebanon with the 122nd Infantry Battalion. He is survived by his parents, his brother and his partner, and his fiancée, along with the couple's seven-month-old British bulldog, Diego, who remains in the care of Ms Coffey's parents, Sharon and Peter.