“HOW COULD YOU not be touched by something so devastating?”
Those were the words of Sinn Féin vice president Michelle O’Neill as she entered St Michael’s Church in Creeslough for the first of two funerals.
At 11am this morning morning, hundreds of people lined the entrance to the small village’s church for the funeral of 24-year-old Jessica Gallagher, who was said to leave “ripples of love” wherever she went.
Less than three hours later, crowds gathered once more for the funeral of 49-year-old Martin McGill, who was described as being “full of love, kindness, and compassion”.
Tomorrow comes the funerals of James O’Flaherty, as well as James Monaghan and his mother Catherine O’Donnell.
“To see such a small community lose 10 people, and so many injured, it would touch anybody’s heart,” said O’Neill.
When asked is she’s surprised how touched the nation and indeed the world has been by the #Creeslough explosion, Sinn Fèin vice president Michelle O’Neill wonders how one could not been touched, especially hearing about 5-year-old Shauna who died in her fathers arms. pic.twitter.com/wtijeusfJ8
— Diarmuid Pepper (@Diarmuid_9) October 11, 2022
Speaking to The Journal, Agriculture Minister and local TD Charlie McConalogue said it has been an “unbelievable trauma for the community”, adding that an incredibly difficult week is ahead for the village.
There has been a lot of talk about the “Donegal spirit” in the aftermath of the tragedy and Minister McConalogue said “it’s the Donegal and the country way”.
“Communities are strong and do pull together in a time of need. It’s the way people are and once again they are really pulling together,” he added.
Minister McConalogue also commended the immediate response of those who rushed to the scene of Friday’s explosion, saying “everybody responded as well as they possibly could”.
Also speaking to The Journal after Jessica’s funeral and prior to Martin’s, Bishop Alan McGuckian also praised the immediate response to the explosion.
“We saw from the beginning the willingness and readiness of people to jump in and take risks to get people out of the shop,” said Bishop McGuckian.
He noted that this “willingness and readiness” to be there for others is now being shown by being there for the families of the victims.
Prior to Martin McGill’s funeral, Bishop Alan McGuckian spoke to myself about how surreal it is for the #creeslough church to be holding the second funeral in the space of three hours. pic.twitter.com/P1E8c6hpDt
— Diarmuid Pepper (@Diarmuid_9) October 11, 2022
Jessica Gallagher’s body was carried into the church in a wicker casket, while symbols representing her life were taken to the front of the church.
“Everyone who knew Jessica knew that radiant smile,” local priest John Joe Duffy said during his homily.
He continued: “That radiant smile that would light up a room with that infectious warmth that flowed from her.”
Jessica Gallagher was due to begin a new job as a fashion designer in Belfast this week and had been visiting her boyfriend’s apartment when the explosion happened.
He remains in hospital at this time and Father Duffy told the congregation that Jessica “meant the world to him”.
Father Duffy joked that Jessica’s boyfriend would do anything for her, including a conversion to gluten-free food.
Jessica’s talents in fashion brought her to Shanghai and also to the International Fashion Academy in Paris, but her “heart” was in Donegal.
“No matter how far she travelled or progressed, the place she was proud of was her beautiful family home – her touchstone, her rock and her pillar,” Father Duffy said.
The area around St Michael’s Church emptied as Jessica Gallagher’s funeral procession left for Doe Cemetery where she was laid to rest.
A little over an hour later, it would fill up again for the funeral of Martin McGill.
A lone piper led Martin’s coffin to St Michael’s Church and a Celtic Football Club jersey was brought to the front of the church.
49-year-old Martin McGill’s funeral procession makes its short journey to St Michael’s Church in #creeslough pic.twitter.com/Dw8wn2yZ7t
— Diarmuid Pepper (@Diarmuid_9) October 11, 2022
Martin grew up in Kirkintilloch, north of Glasgow, and was an avid supporter of Celtic.
Several people wore Celtic jerseys and scarves along the route into the church.
He had lived in Creeslough for years and was a carer for his mother, Mary.
Martin was described as someone who was “always lighting candles in the church and praying for people”.
It is understood he had ordered his dinner in the local takeaway and had gone to the service station to withdraw cash when the explosion occurred.
Father Duffy told the congregation that Martin would often be in the local shop up to five times a day in order to run errands for those in his estate, described by Duffy as “a nucleus within the community”.
“His strength was in that he was a caring person,” said Father Duffy, who added that he has now been reunited with his recently deceased father, Joseph.
During the distribution of the Eucharist, the Fields of Athenry was sung.
It’s a song that has been adopted by the Celtic supporters as a result of the club’s strong Irish roots.
The team wore black armbands during tonight’s Champions League game at Celtic Park and also held a moment of silence.
Celtic Park comes together to remember the 10 people who lost their lives in a petrol station explosion in Creeslough last Friday 💚 pic.twitter.com/PgHOBFDk6e
— Watch the UCL on LiveScore 🇮🇪 (@LiveScoreIE) October 11, 2022
Celtic has also donated £10,000 to the Creeslough Community Support fund.
Father Duffy said his abiding memory of Martin will be of the carer in his Celtic jersey and added that the club’s actions would have meant so much to him.
Mourners sang along to You’ll Never Walk Alone at the end of Martin’s service, another anthem of Celtic Football Club.
Like Jessica Gallagher, Martin was also buried in Doe Cemetery.
From early in the morning, the streets of Creeslough were lined with cars and media personnel could be seen all over the village.
Quite quickly after Martin’s funeral procession left for Doe Cemetery, the streets began to empty, the media outlets packed up, and a hushed silence descended on the village.
It’s been mentioned by many in the village that the period of adjustment might be at its most difficult when the camera crews leave and the dust begins to settle.
“Everything in life happens for a reason,” said one local in an attempt to somehow rationalise what has happened to Creeslough.
And all you can do is you keep trying the best you can and doing the best you can.
In the window of the National School around a hundred yards from St Michael’s Church, there are cutouts of 10 angels and 10 red candles, a reflection of the 10 red candles that burn on the altar in the church down the street.
Bishop McGuckian says these candles are symbolic of the healing process Creeslough must now go on.
“They are long burning candles that will burn day and night for a week. That speaks to the slow, long process of healing for everybody but it is not simple and we cannot expect it to happen quickly.”
The candles will burn for the remainder of the week, but the agony of the explosion will remain for years to come.
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