Creeslough families demand investigation into blast

Several families who lost loved ones in an explosion in Creeslough, County Donegal, have called on the Irish government to hold a public inquiry into the tragedy.

The explosion, which killed 10 people, occurred at a petrol station in the village in County Donegal on October 7, 2022.

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

Justice Minister Helen McEntee has confirmed she is considering a letter from lawyer Darragh Mackin, on behalf of the relatives of seven of the 10 victims, calling for an independent inquiry into the blast.

Mr Mackin, of Belfast-based law firm Phoenix Law, confirmed they were also seeking to meet the minister.

Creeslough is a small village in the northwest of the island of Ireland, approximately 15 miles from Letterkenny and 30 miles from the border with Northern Ireland.

Its population is around 400 inhabitants.

The October 7, 2022, explosion caused the highest number of civilian casualties in a single incident in the county in decades.

The deceased were Robert Garwe and his five-year-old daughter, Shauna Flanagan-Garwe; Catherine O’Donnell and her 13-year-old son, James Monaghan; Jessica Gallagher; Martin McGill; James O’Flaherty; Martina Martin; Hugh Kelly; and Leona Harper, 14.

“Unimaginable pain and suffering”

Mr Mackin represents the next of kin of Robert Garwe, Shauna Flanagan-Garwe, Catherine O’Donnell, James Monaghan, Jessica Gallagher, Martina Martin and Leona Harper.

In his letter, Mr Mackin said Creeslough’s situation had been made worse by the lack of an independent and human rights-compliant investigation.

He also said the victims’ families have endured “unimaginable pain and suffering.”

“Their families will not be able to grieve until they know the truth about what happened, their failings are acknowledged, and specific lessons are learned so that an incident like this never happens again,” he wrote.

The letter states that the only current review of the incident is the criminal investigation being conducted by An Garda Síochána (the Irish police service).

He said there was uncertainty about when the case would end and whether it would lead to criminal prosecution.

Mr Mackin said the statutory function of An Garda Síochána was to investigate allegations of criminality and said “they cannot be faulted for this limitation”.

However, he said the Irish police were unable to produce a public report on the incident, release documents to families or make recommendations to ensure a similar event does not happen again.

He added: “It is clear from any reading that there are wider prevention issues surrounding the Creeslough explosion which will inevitably escape the Garda investigation.”

As for other types of investigation, he said there were several reasons why an investigation would be “insufficient and ineffective” in the Creeslough case, including the fact that it could take several years.

“We are writing to formally request the Minister to consider establishing an independent inquiry in the form of a public inquiry or commission of inquiry, on terms to be agreed in consultation with the families.

“Holding such an investigation now will prevent further time being wasted and will provide our clients with a means of discovering the truth and, as a result, finally being able to grieve for their loved ones.

“Given the nature of our request, we are writing to formally request the Minister to consider meeting with our clients to discuss this request in more detail at the earliest opportunity.”

The police investigation is ongoing

In a statement, the Irish Department of Justice confirmed that the minister had received the letter and was reviewing its contents, but could not comment further due to the ongoing investigation.

Police said their investigation was ongoing “with the intention of submitting a file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions”.

She has not made any further comments at this time.