Creeslough families call for answers after meeting justice minister

“Extremely serious” questions about the Creeslough explosion still need to be answered, a lawyer for a group representing some of the victims' families has said.

Damian Tanswey was speaking after Ireland’s justice minister, environment minister and agriculture minister met the group representing some of those killed and injured in the explosion.

The group wants the Irish government to commission an independent investigation.

The blast at a service station and shop in County Donegal in October 2022 killed 10 people.

The victims of the petrol station explosion

The victims - four men, three women, two teenagers, and a five-year-old girl - were from the surrounding areas.

Mr Tanswey said the families had faith in the ongoing Garda (Irish police) investigation but it was limited in its scope to criminal findings.

He called for “an overarching painstaking forensics & comprehensive investigation into what happened” in Creeslough.

Hugh Harper, whose daughter, Leona, was killed in the blast, said the families needed answers to allow them to grieve properly.

Leona was 14 and was buying an ice cream in the shop when the explosion happened.

Mr Harper said the group was warmly welcomed by ministers and its members felt they were now a step closer to getting a public inquiry.

He said the ministers took all their concerns on board.

"We have gone through a living nightmare since 7 October 2022," Mr Harper said.

"Everyday we live with it, it is not just a once off for our family and everyone's families who were injured.

"There is more to this story than meets the eye and for us to make any attempt to move forward we need all of the answers."

Families have one question - why?

A number of inquiries are currently under way, including one by gardaí and the Republic’s Health and Safety Authority

Shauna Gallagher’s sister, Jessica, was also killed in the explosion.

She said there were no words to quantify their loss but there was one question that needed answered - "why?"

"There is no way to understand it, we can try our very best to put our lives back together and continue as much as we can but how can we do that without the necessary information?" she said.

'Pain and suffering'

A number of inquiries are currently under way, including one by gardaí and the Health and Safety Authority.

In a statement An Garda Síochána said the investigation, led by gardaí in Donegal Division, was ongoing with the intention of submitting a file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

More than 40 people from the County Donegal village travelled to Government Buildings in Dublin on Wednesday.

Environment Minister Eamon Ryan and Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue attended the meeting along with Justice Minister Helen McEntee.

In a letter to McEntee last month, a solicitor representing some of the victims said their grief had been compounded by the absence of an independent human rights-compliant investigation.

Darragh Mackin also said the victims' families endured "unimaginable pain and suffering".

In a statement issued after the meeting , the ministers said it was important for the government to hear first-hand the experiences of the Creeslough community.

They said there was a strong desire that families got the answers they needed about the deaths of their loved ones.

The ministers said they did not rule out a public inquiry but that it was important that ongoing investigations could be completed.