Creeslough: Community pulls together to carry its broken heart

Vigils were held in many parts of the country following the blast, including this one for five-year-old Shauna Flanagan-Garwe in Letterkenny

The people of Creeslough in County Donegal have experienced a week like no-one could have imagined.

Ten people between the ages of five and 59 taken too soon, in an explosion nobody could have foreseen.

Since last Friday, they have had to go through the ordeal of waiting for their friends and relatives to be recovered and identified, followed by 10 wakes and funerals.

But in the midst of tragedy, this close-knit community's immense love and support for each other has been ever present.

On Saturday, the last funerals were held, of the youngest victim, Shauna Flanagan-Garwe, 5, and her father Robert, 50.

The aftermath

Last weekend, local pharmacist Fergus Brennan said: "In Donegal we're very good at supporting each other at times of loss and I've no doubt the community will rally round each other.

"It will take many months and years to come to terms with this."

Mr Brennan knew most of the victims involved, like many others in the village of about 400 people.

So once the news of the blast started to make its way around people's homes, local people were straight out to help where they could.

Until the emergency services arrived, some used their bare hands to tear through the rubble or using whatever digging equipment they had.

Kieran Gallagher heard the bang from his house and ran to help

In the aftermath, residents have been volunteering by assisting the emergency services and directing traffic, whether it's away from the scene or managing congestion during the wakes and funerals.

Kieran Gallagher, who lives about 150 yards from the scene, was among those volunteering.

"Everybody from everywhere around Creeslough are here to help. All the businessmen and workmen are here - we have to be strong and help each other through this."

The selflessness of the local people has really shone through in such a dark time for the village.

People across Donegal and further afield also came together at vigils in the first few days that followed the explosion.

One week on: The scene of the explosion at the petrol station

Since Tuesday, people have gathered for funerals time and again to offer their support to the families affected.

BBC News NI has also heard of how close-knit and kind they were before it all happened.

On Saturday, at the funeral of Robert Garwe, from Zimbabwe, and his daughter Shauna, mourners heard how they were welcomed by the people of Creeslough when they moved to the village.

Some people in Creeslough feel like all they can do is be there.

• Who were the victims?

Bishop of Raphoe Alan McGuckian has spoken of people suffering from a "sense of guilt" .

"On the one hand it's relief that it wasn't me or it wasn't my sister or my son, and then the guilt about feeling that, that it wasn't mine but it was this beautiful person here.

"There is this randomness that is scary... this could happen at every moment.

"The solidarity, the tsunami of prayer that has come has carried people."

Ten candles, representing the victims of the explosion, have been sitting on the alter in St Michael's Church all week

On Friday, as she was waiting for a funeral to begin, one woman told BBC News NI it was "like a dream".

"It makes it hard to believe in anything after all this," she added.

"I looked from my house this morning and there was a rainbow over the petrol station [where the explosion happened] - I'm not sure what that means."

Another man told us: "This wee village will never be the same again. Sure, how could it?"

Creeslough's rock

There is one person who has been a constant throughout this past week and at the heart of it all, and that is Fr John Joe Duffy.

Over the past week, he has visited the scene several times, met emergency services, attended wakes and prepared eight eulogies for eight funerals.

"It didn't take a tragedy for him [Fr Duffy] to be there for people," one resident told us.

"We are so lucky to have such a wonderful priest. He always knows how to say the right thing.

Fr John Joe Duffy has been described as being Creeslough's "rock"

"He's been a rock for the community through all this."

Over one week on from the tragedy, Fr Duffy said the community was feeling the "pain of loss in a very profound and deep way".

"It's been a very tough wee," he said.

"It's natural that there is still that feeling of shock, numbness not knowing how we are, feelings of grieving and mourning."

"We're showing through our eyes the feelings that's in our hearts."

The priest has also urged people in the village of Creeslough to seek help and avail of the support that is being offered.

"We're all fragile. Our minds are even more fragile," he added.

'Some will never recover'

Many people are still in disbelief at what has happened and trying to get their head around the deaths of 10 people.

Over the past week, the village has featured on almost every radio and TV station, meaning people involved had little escape from the events.

The media's focus will soon turn from this small village, but local GP Paul Stewart has warned that this is now a deeply traumatised community.

One week on: The scene of the explosion at the petrol station

"I grew up in Belfast during The Troubles and when I arrived here shortly after the explosion it just reminded me of Belfast back in the early 70s," he said.

"It was just as bad. We were pulling people out of the rubble.

"And it's only the beginning of it. We're going to have months and year of this, trying to heal the wounds in this community.

"It's going to take us years and some people will never recover."