Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
LAST UPDATE | 9 Oct 2022
THE 10 VICTIMS of the explosion at a filling station in Creeslough in Co Donegal have been named by Gardaí.
Tributes have poured in for the victims and their families after the search and recovery operation was concluded yesterday.
The 10 victims are:
In a statement last night, Letterkenny Rugby Club paid tribute to Leona, describing her as a “talented rugby player and an important part of our U14 girls team” and offered their “deepest condolences” to her family.
“There are no words that feel strong enough at a moment of deep sorrow such as this.”
Mulroy College, which both Leona and James attended, issued a statement this afternoon expressing their condolences.
“It is with deepest regret that we advise that two of our students, James Monaghan and Leona Harper, and two mothers of students enrolled in our school, Catherine O Donnell and Martina Martin, were among the fatalities,” the statement reads.
“Our deepest sympathies are with the families who have tragically lost a loved one following Friday’s incident in Creeslough.”
Fiona Temple, Principal of Mulroy College, said that the school community has been devastated by the news.
“We as a school community are devastated on hearing of the tragedy and the fatal outcome for our two beautiful students and our cherished parents. Our thoughts and prayers are with all the families and the Creeslough community at this time,” said Temple.
We are numbed by this overwhelming sadness and will work together to support all members of our school community in the coming days, weeks and months ahead. Our priority, as a school management and staff, is the wellbeing and welfare of the students and their families at this tragic time.
“We extend our best wishes to all those who suffered injuries including some of our students.”
A spokesperson for the Gallagher family said that Jessica had moved to Belfast and had recently started work as a fashion designer in the city, having graduated with an Honours degree from the International Fashion Academy in Paris.
According to the spokesperson, she was visiting her boyfriend’s apartment above the Applegreen service station when the explosion occurred.
Investigation
Gardaí are continuing to investigate all of the circumstances into the cause of the explosion. The investigation is being coordinated from an incident room at Milford Garda Station.
The Garda Technical Bureau, with assistance from other agencies, will continue to examine the scene, which remains cordoned off. These examinations are likely to continue over the coming days. Traffic diversions on the N56 at the scene of the incident remain in place.
Post mortems will continue over the next few days.
One man in his 20s remains in a critical condition in St. James Hospital in Dublin.
The seven other surviving casualties continue to receive treatment in Letterkenny University Hospital and remain in stable condition.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
“Those with the most to lose in Ireland, Messrs Quinn, Fitzpatrick and Drumm, for example, are all taking very different approaches.”
Lets not kid ourselves. These people are not the one with the most to lose. Ordinary people are. NIck might well feel he has done his bit in prison and therefore the world was set to right. But he make no mention of the companies gone bust, people out of work, people who had to choose to to pay to health care or feed their kids becuse of the actions of people like those mentioned above or indeed his own.
Do i think these folks should se the inside of a prison? For sure. But we shouldnt be under any illusion that justice is being served (rather than some social blood letting is underway) when the very system that Nick was involved in 13 years ago is exactly the same financial system on place today that gives power to Quinn, Fitzpatrick and Drumm etc to completely mess up our futures. Real justice demands real structural changes to how power and democractic control over our own futures.
Nice comment. well put.
The humility you so obviously display after what can only be described as the pits of hell in that prison is an education. I cant even for a minute contemplate what you went through but you know you paid your price faced up to your massive mistakes and acknowledged you did wrong it takes an intelligent person to do that – thank you for the article this morning
I honestly don’t think Ireland can move on until people like Sean Fitzpatrick are sentenced to long prison sentences! People’s confidence first and foremost has to be restored! However when no apparent action is ever likely to be taken against the likes of Mick Wallace, Ireland can never move on! The Fine Gael/ Labour government are proving to be just as culpable as their predecessors when it comes to turning a blind eye to crimes committed by their own kind! Jailing these people won’t solve our immediate problems, but it will inspire confidence and belief that this country can become a great place to live in once again!
Nick, that sounds like a seriously tough prison. Do you think you would have the same outlook now if you had served time in an Irish prison? I know its not luxurious but do you think that having TV’s, reasonable food, plenty of activities/exercise might not give you the time and space you need to come to terms with why you’re actually there?
Well if not I’m sure we can get a few sadistic volunteers to beat that “time and space” into their lives.
Read human rights reports on our prisons. They’re not pleasant, only recently has reasonable food come in and they’re are most definitely not getting plenty of activities/exercise in any of the prisons I’ve read of.
Now theres a thought, Quinn, Fitzpatrick and Drumm drinking from the prison toilet bowl
I appreciate the very candid and insightful article. It’s a shame that the correctional services don’t have this kind of successful rehabilitation more often. It takes a lot of courage to suffer the level of humiliation that Nick suffered and come out looking people eye to eye.
Mike
I enjoyed your opinion piece. Thank you. It is the clear thesis of the piece that time spent in prison allowed you to progress.It is not so clear why. Could you possibly elaborate on this?
Brilliant article. When you have to honestly face up to your own crap more than you ever imagined the permanent freedom you get from it afterwards is amazing.
I would read it again if I were you.
have your say