Taoiseach Simon Harris has paid tribute to the 10 people who lost their lives in the 2022 Creeslough explosion on the second anniversary of the tragedy.
Relatives of the victims, who included three children, gathered at the scene of the suspected gas explosion on Monday to mark the exact anniversary of their loved ones’ deaths.
The church bell at nearby St Michael’s church was sounded ten times at 3.17pm in memory of the victims who died when the explosion caused a retail and apartment complex to collapse.
Mr Harris said his thoughts were with the Creeslough community.
“The people of Donegal and, indeed, the entire country will never forget the shock and sadness that emerged on what can only be described as one of the darkest days for our country,” he said.
“We also remember the rescue workers responding that day and in the aftermath and the whole community coming together to support each other. The second anniversary today serves as a poignant reminder of the fragility of life.”
The Republic’s Minister for Justice Helen McEntee also confirmed on Monday that she intends meeting the Creeslough families following their calls for a public inquiry.
“These families deserve to be listened to, they deserve to be heard and above all they deserve to get the answers to really important questions, what happened, how can this have happened to their families and how can we ensure that this never happens again and that nobody has to go through what they’re going through,” Ms McEntee said.
She said gardaí hoped to submit a file to the director of public prosecution shortly following their investigations.
Creeslough parish priest Fr John Joe Duffy told relatives of the dead and wounded that the community would always remember those who died in the explosion. Fr Duffy was speaking at a special commemoration Mass in Creeslough on Saturday.
Het said: “We will always remember them and we walk with you in your pain. We cannot take your pain but we walk beside you. We pray that our presence may give you a little help and a little hope.”
A prayer service was also held in memory of the victims at St Michael’s on Monday evening.
The 10 people who died were: Leona Harper (14), Martin McGill (49), James O’Flaherty (48), Martina Martin (49), James Monaghan (13), Catherine O’Donnell (39), Jessica Gallagher (24), Hugh Kelly (59), Robert Garwe (50) and Shauna Flanagan-Garwe (5).
