Billy Ashford, 25, was rushed to hospital after falling seriously ill
07:58, 04 Nov 2025Updated 07:59, 04 Nov 2025
Billy Ashford.(Image: GoFundMe)
Tributes have flowed in from across Ireland to a young dad from Tipperary who died in hospital after suffering a medical emergency while in Thailand. Billy Ashford (25) was rushed to hospital last week after falling seriously ill and was on a ventilator in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) where he sadly died, his family have confirmed.
Billy’s aunt, Keisha Hannon, announced that her nephew had sadly died on Monday. She had set up a GoFundMe to help initially with Billy’s medical expenses, and now says the family will need support to help bring Billy home and cover funeral costs.
“It’s with the saddest heart that I need to tell ye all my nephew sadly passed, right now we’re trying to get home home, please any donation big or small will help towards the funeral cost, fly high Billy #forever25,” Keisha wrote in an update to her ‘my nephew who fell ill abroad’ GoFundMe page.
More than €3,800 has been raised by kind-hearted donors, the Irish Mirror reports. Keisha thanked “all those who thought of us and prayed and donated for my handsome nephew.”
Billy, who was dad to a little son named Callum, has been described as a ‘great friend’ and ‘such a young lad gone far too soon.’ Tributes have been pouring in from friends and family of the dad-of-one. One mourner said: “Forever young, my friend Billy. You have touched many hearts brother and Cleo, he will look down on you, Karen, old Billy and Callum and of course Ornagh Harding, the mother of his beautiful son. Me, Ian and Billy grew up together. We have lost a piece of our childhood today.”
Another wrote: “So sad, such a young lad gone far too soon. Condolences to all his family,’ while another tribute read: “My condolences to all the family. May heaven be your bed Billy, mind your family at this hard time. Rest in peace Billy.’ Another person added: “I’m heartbroken here. A great friend to my son. Fly high Billy. Thinking of his mum, dad and all the family.”
And another said: “Rest in peace Billy. Watch over Cleo, your family and your son Callum and give them strength in this hard time.”
Billy’s family are now making plans to repatriate his remains over the coming days, and funeral arrangements have yet to be announced.