Ceremony to mark two years since Creeslough tragedy

The bells of St Michael's Church in Creeslough will ring in solemn memory of the ten people who lost their lives two years ago at 3.17pm today, the exact time of the tragedy that impacted the lives of many people in the north west.

An explosion at a filling station in the Co Donegal town on 7 October 2022 claimed the lives of four men, three women and three children, ranging in age from five to 59.

The ten people who died were Robert Garwe (50) and his daughter Shauna Flanagan-Garwe (5), Catherine O'Donnell (39) and her son James Monaghan (13), Jessica Gallagher (24), Martin McGill (49), James O'Flaherty (48), Martina Martin (49), Hugh 'Hughie' Kelly (59) and Leona Harper (14).

Creeslough parish priest Father John Joe Duffy has invited everyone to join with them in remembering and praying for those that are bereaved and impacted by the tragedy.

Fr Duffy said: "Your unity with us can be done from your own homes on Monday at 3.17pm, by joining with us in silent prayer for those who tragically died, for their loved ones, for their families and for their friends and our wider communities.

"I also ask you to keep in prayer those who were injured in the Creeslough tragedy, those affected by it in anyway, for those who lost their homes.

"The journey of healing will continue and we remain strong for one another," Fr Duffy added.

"Families will be remembering their departed loved ones in their own personal, private and family ways as they have been doing every day since the tragedy of two years ago.

"Our entire parish community will be remembering Shauna, James, Leona, Jessica, Catherine, James, Martina, Martin, Robert and Hughie, throughout this weekend as we do every day," he said.

The Creeslough Community Hub will close at 3pm this afternoon as a mark of respect and will reopen at 3.30pm.

Later this evening a prayer service will take place at St Michael's Church for those who died in the tragedy.

Last Saturday evening, Fr Duffy offered mass in memory of the ten people who lost their lives.

Almost two weeks ago, Phoenix Law, which acts for the majority of the families wrote to Minister for Justice Helen McEntee formally seeking a public inquiry as a meeting with the families.

A spokesperson at the Department of Justice has told RTÉ News that Minister McEntee has responded to the Creeslough families to confirm she will meet them in the coming weeks.

"It is important the families get the answers they need in relation to the loss of their loved ones in what was a national tragedy. It is also important that the garda investigation, the HSA investigation, and the CRU investigation complete their work," the spokesperson added.