8Village remembers ‘10 beautiful souls’
Creeslough blast tragedy victims honoured at service one year on
in Creeslough
A BLANKET of silence wrapped itself around the heartbroken village of Creeslough at 3.17pm yesterday – a year to the minute after the petrol station blast tragedy.
Ten people lost their lives in the October 7 explosion at the Applegreen Filling Station on a Friday afternoon.
The sound of a bell tolling 10 times yesterday marked the loss of those precious lives in Co Donegal.
The names of James O’flaherty, Leona Harper, Martin Mcgill, Hugh Kelly, Jessica Gallagher, Martina Martin, Catherine O’donnell and her son James Monaghan, Robert Garwe and his daughter Shauna Flanagan Garwe will be forever connected to this village.
As he did a year ago, local priest Fr John Joe Duffy tried to find a way to guide the community who gathered in prayer outside the place where the tragedy unfolded.
Fr Duffy said: “It is a day of sadness, of acute sadness but a day of personal reflection, a day of fond memories of loved ones who were lost in this tragedy.
“The last year has been a difficult journey, a journey of mourning, a journey of healing, a journey of learning to cope particularly for those from whom this tragedy took ten beautiful souls and for those also who were injured in body and for all of us who were injured in mind. “The journey of recovery will continue for all of us for a long time to come. “Unlike most journeys we set out on in life, this journey of Creeslough we know neither the length nor the duration of the road ahead but we know that we will travel it together, each of us together, linked together. “We are as strong as our weakest part and our weakest part is our most precious part of us all. “Today, I would like to finish by thanking all in the emergency services from across this island who came here once again today standing in solidarity with us to give us comfort.” He finished by thanking the people of Ireland for supporting the people of Creeslough over the past year.
He added: “I ask you, the people of Ireland who have responded to us from your homes by sending us thousands of cards and messages to continue to keep us in your prayers for the journey that lies ahead.
“This day is another step on the long journey ahead.
“God bless you all and thank you for your kindness, for your comfort and consolation to us all.”
Fr Duffy thanked all the bereaved families for the strength they gave to him personally.
Not all members of the families who lost loved ones in the explosion attended the memorial, with some preferring to remember them in their own way. A crowd of around 1,500, including emergency services and the K9 search and rescue unit, gathered to remember those lost in the tragedy and the families who continue to search for answers.
Church of Ireland Bishop of Derry and Raphoe Andrew Forster told mourners it has been a very difficult and painful year and a year of heartache.
However, he added it had also been a year in which “we saw the best of people”.
Music played a major part in the ceremony with musician Matt Mcgranaghan playing tunes before finishing off the ceremony with the poignant Somewhere Over The Rainbow.
Fr Duffy also revealed the bell used to commemorate the victims will be stored at the nearby St Michael’s Church in Creeslough before it will be moved to another location when the time is right.
Ten yellow roses rested alongside the bell remembering each of the victims.
A poem written by the pupils of nearby Glassan National School in Dunfanaghy was read out by principal Aine Whoriskey.
Gardai have undertaken more than 1,350 lines of inquiry while more than 900 statements have also been taken.
The last year has been a difficult journey FR JOHN JOE DUFFY ON CREESLOUGH’S PAIN