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LAST UPDATE | 9 Oct 2022
A VIGIL HAS taken place for the victims of the Creeslough explosion and their families.
Tributes have continued to pour in for the families affected and the Creeslough community, including a message of condolence from Pope Francis.
Speaking to The Journal after the vigil, organiser Declan Meehan said: “It was important for us to provide some sort of focal point in the community for people’s shock, for their grief, and for the feeling of helplessness.
“We wanted everyone in the community to feel part of it, people of faith and of none.”
Dozens of people stood in the rain to pay their respects, with several musical tributes.
At the end of the vigil, held at the top of the Co Donegal town of Milford, the crowd sang an Irish language hymn, A Mhuire Mhathair.
Hot drinks and biscuits were handed out afterwards, as people gathered to process the news in the aftermath of the tragedy.
It is the first of almost 20 vigils due to be held across Co Donegal.
Meehan said: “We’ve never experienced anything like this before in Donegal, so there’s no playbook.
It’s incredibly important to be there in the coming weeks, months and even years, because anyone who’s experienced grief and bereavement knows that the days thereafter are just the start of it.
“It’s a much, much longer road to grieve properly and process it and to heal.”
Meehan said it was also important to support emergency responders who attended the scene, as “a lot of them have experienced a lot of things none of us can ever imagine.”
Donegal musician Cormac Friel performed a song he wrote about the tragedy:
We light our candles and pray for those who’ve gone /
And think of the others who carry their memories on /
There are things in this life that are to hard to understand /
We gather together hand in hand /
United with Creeslough we stand
A statement sent by the Pope’s representative to Bishop of Raphoe Alexander McGuckian read: “His Holiness Pope Francis was saddened to learn of the loss of life and destruction caused by the explosion in Creeslough and he expresses his spiritual closeness to all those suffering in the aftermath of this tragedy.
“While entrusting the deceased to the merciful love of almighty god, His Holiness implores the divine blessings of consolation and healing upon the injured, the displaced and the families coping with pain of loss.
“As a pledge of strength and peace in the lord, the Holy Father sends his blessing to all the people of Ireland.”
Gardaí named the 10 victims this afternoon at a media conference.
Local pharmacist Fergus Brennan said the youngest victim, five-year-old Shauna Flanagan Garwe, was a “beautiful little girl” who used to “bounce into the shop”, and would always ask for a lollipop.
“As the names were confirmed, the stories of these people … really are embedded in the community,” he told RTÉ News.
Brennan told The Journal that the sense of shock in the community was compounded by the fact that the shop was frequented by everyone in the town: “It could happen anywhere … a freak accident.
“Any one of us could be in that tragic list of 10 names.
He said Creeslough struggled through the recession and is “getting back on its feet” with successful businesses such as the service station.
But “all that matters now are the eight homes that are devastated by the loss of a loved one.”
He paid tribute to all the victims, and mentioned that 49-year-old Martin McGill was in the pharmacy “two or three times a week” as he was a “dedicated carer” for his mother.
A man in his 20s remains in a critical condition in St James’s Hospital in Dublin following Friday’s blast.
The seven other surviving casualties continue to receive treatment in Letterkenny University Hospital and remain in a stable condition.
Political leaders pay tribute
Earlier today, Taoiseach Micheál Martin met those who were admitted to hospital after the service station explosion.
He also met with the medical team who were on duty on the day of the explosion in the village, as well as members of Letterkenny fire station.
Accompanying Martin were Agriculture Minister and Donegal TD Charlie McConalogue and Tánaiste Leo Varadkar.
Justice Minister Helen McEntee paid tribute to the victims on RTÉ One today, remarking: “We all offer our condolences to the families whose lives have been utterly changed forever but but the entire community I know will be coming to terms with this for a long time.
She also thanked “the Gardaí, the ambulance service, fire service, people who themselves came and literally lifted bricks with their bare hands, not just in Donegal but across the border. I mean, we can only commend them and I know they’ll need our help and support as well.”
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald visited the town last night with Donegal TD Pearse Doherty.
Local mass
Bishop of Raphoe Alan McGuckian said the people of Creeslough are “living through a nightmare of shock and horror”.
Addressing the congregation during Sunday mass at St Michael’s Church, the bishop said: “At this time, you, the people of Creeslough are living through a nightmare of shock and horror since the very heart of the community was deeply wounded on Friday afternoon.
“It’s an experience that we are living through together. But we recognise that the trauma is different for every single individual. We hold in our hearts most especially those for whom this is most acute.”
Gardaí said that while they will be investigating the cause of the explosion, signs currently point towards it being a tragic accident.
It is understood that one avenue of investigation is the cause being a gas explosion.
Additional reporting by Press Association and Diarmuid Pepper in Creeslough
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Amazing :-)
Also surprised how many of my friends look so much better without make up :-)
and yet yourself and all your friends will put it back on, women putting pressure on yourselves, awful shame
Having seen so many girls post selfies without make up on this week, I’ve decided to donate money to Revlon for the miraculous work they do.
Just kidding of course, I think all ladies are beautiful. Some are more beautiful than others though.
Monty your rock! That actually made me laugh out loud :)
Word has it that Linda Martins holding back her selfie for Halloween.
See the lads are starting to do sock on a cock for ball cancer.
Better than them thick necnominations fair play to everyone who donated as quite a few cancer charities benefited… I support aoibhenns pink tie a cancer charity for children who do great work with the children and their family
This is wonderful. And revealing how good women look without makeup !
Some of my friends look years younger without the makeup
Great stuff – that should cover 2 salaries, with €7 leftover for cancer research.
Topups all round!
Absolutely roaring laughing at this comment
It’s great to see a trend making a positive difference. And I for one think that the less make up a woman uses the better she can look!
Well done to all who supported this novelty idea. We will always have a few begrudgers and negative people but this is so POSITIVE and fun and supporting CANCER AWARENESS and a €4 donation to a wonderful charity
Never knew me throwing on a wig for a photo could be such a money spinner!
Yes, my five sisters and I did the ‘no make up selfie’ last night and it was interesting to see them on Facebook with no makeup! Needless to say, they all looked great!! It’s for a great cause!! Go girls!! ;)
Why is it such a big deal that women are showing what they actually look like??? Surely this should be expected as normal instead of the way things are were women hide behind make-up and fake tan while hypocritically judging others for how they look when they themselves conceal their own appearance.
Less of it now john
The reason it is such a big deal is because some women wouldn’t step outside their front door with out some foundation on or mascara to conceal their blemishes . It’s a self conscious thing , and it’s fantastic that these women are willing to bare all and have their insecurites brought out into the huge wide world of face book and all of their friends can see their blemishes . It’s a big thing for some women and I applaude every single woman that has done it .
John it’s an article about making money for cancer charities, it’s a feel good thing but you want to turn it into a woman bashing exercise, just because mummy didn’t show you enough love growing up doesn’t mean we want to listen to your clap trap so please cop on to yourself and do cock in a sock for testicular cancer and smile buddy ok
All told, an estimated $6 billion is raised every year in the name of breast cancer research but the cases of breast cancer have risen dramatically worldwide , cancer is a terrible disease , but marketing disease as a fund raising stunt for over-paid administrators mid-term bonuses is a bit sick …these no-make up “selfies’ wont cure one kid with leukemia nor offer much to the palliative care of a cancer patient , it’s just all part of the marketing , this is an industry built on very few cures and where 8/10 chemo patients die from radiation ….don’t be a sucker for the Bernays type propaganda…even when it pulls at your heart strings.
When dissonance is present, in addition to trying to reduce it, the person will actively avoid situations and information which would likely increase the dissonance…
Deasun – and what would you suggest??? Cancer Awareness is important. Nurses funded by the ICS are important. Helplines and support for patients and families is important.
Research is important. There are many variants of cancers both in adulthood and childhood, with different prognosis.
One has to remain positive and hopeful- that one day
A cure will be found
Darren you shouldn’t try your hand at smart alec responses because you’re not really good at it. I’m just saying that something better or more creative should have been done for cancer awareness than shining a light on how sad society is, were women showing their faces without make-up is seen as some sort of achievement or commendable act.
A well intentioned but truly bizarre social media craze. I can’t but feel sorry for these women who feel that appearing on social medial without makeup is an achievement worthy of monetary donation. It opens up another debate as to why women feel that they have to wear make-up in the first place.
I applaud the thousands of brave men who put their self esteem on the line by posting up these pictures of themselves without makeup
#inspirational
Whoever came up with that marketing plan is a genius …..
Have long been saying this country needs a telethon to lift the national mood. Re-ignite the appreciation of what we’ve got because many organisations who provide amazing life changing services countrywide have seen their fundraising sources disappear. Its sole purpose wouldn’t be to raise millions even 250000 would go a long way towards some group it would raise the spirits of the country and that could be priceless. Look at sport relief. Think it would be all the better now after all the rehab and charities scandals. Here is an example of the people of Ireland taking control and providing a major adrenalin shot to one of the countries most worthy charities.
I think you just answered your own question there John ;-)
Its for a great cause and a charity close to my heart having lost an aunt to skin cancer and having had three brain tumors removed thankfully benign. As a result I suffer with Epilepsy, on the 26th of March is World Epilepsy Day, purple is the colour to symbolise Epilepsy. It would be great if the people of Ireland could wear a little purple on the 26th to let us know they are thinking of the 36,000 people approx in ireland who suffer with epilepsy and donate no matter how big or small to Epilepsy Ireland. Text the word Roses to 50300. Remember not every seizure involves a violent convulsion. There are over 40 different types of seizures. It is the most common neurological condition and yet the most misunderstood.
For US charities, we offer a similar text-and-pledge service. Many of our nonprofit clients have achieved tremendous success with our platform: http://s.gnoss.us/TextToPledge
Eric Bryant
Gnosis Media Group
? Hmmm…
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