LAST UPDATE | 8 Feb 2023

A DOCUMENTARY ON the response to and immediate aftermath of the Creeslough explosion will air tonight, after some of the victim’s families expressed concern about the timing of the programme. 

At least four families had asked for a TG4 documentary airing tonight to be postponed.

Ten people were killed in the tragic incident in the Co Donegal village on the afternoon of Friday, 7 October.

In a new documentary tonight on TG4 entitled Iniúchadh TG4 – An Craoslach, local people who were among the first on the scene will recount their experience of the explosion and its immediate aftermath.

Four families had been in contact with RTÉ today to ask that the documentary not be aired tonight.

However, in a statement issued this evening, a spokesperson from TG4 said: “Having carefully considered all of the important and sensitive issues raised with us, we have decided that the documentary Iniúchadh TG4 – An Craoslach will air on TG4 tonight. 

“The documentary is about the ordinary people who assisted in the rescue at the scene before emergency services arrived.   

“It contains interviews with some of those who risked their own lives to bring others to safety. The programme does not report anything about the victims other than what has already been reported publicly in the direct aftermath of the tragedy.”

‘Lack of communication’

Earlier today Hugh Harper, the father of 14-year-old Leona Harper was was one of the ten victims, told RTÉ that there had been a “lack of communication” with the families.

Speaking to Liveline, he added that he only heard about the documentary “very recently”.

While he said he knew it was “in the pipeline”, he added that he didn’t know that it was “going to be here so quick”.

“We just feel that this is far too soon, far too early, it’s far too raw for the families,” said Harper. “I can’t speak for all the families but I can only speak for ourselves really.”

He added: “The main issue is that, as far as I am aware, none of the families have been notified or contacted to say, ‘this is what is going to be aired, this is what is going to be said’.”

While Harper said he has no issue with those who have been interviewed for the programme, adding that he knows some of them personally, he said it is “the unknown that worries us”.

“I can appreciate that the programme wants to acknowledge the people and what they have done, but that’s not really an issue for me or my family.

“It’s the unknown, it’s the lack of communication. I wrote an email to TG4 [and received] no response. My wife was on the phone today to TG4 and they were very uncooperative.”

Harper also expressed concern about what footage might be used in the programme.

“I’m highly concerned about any images that’s going to be portrayed from the show,” he told RTÉ.

“My wife was on the scene very early along with the kids, other people were there; what video footage have TG4 got or what images have they got?

“I don’t want to wake up tomorrow morning with images circulating that we haven’t seen, that nobody has seen.”

‘Timing’

While Harper said he has “no problem with TG4 making this documentary”, he added that the families should have been included in its production.

“Not to say what can go in it and what can’t,” said Harper, “but to know when it is going to air and what the content of it is going to be.

“If I was going to do a documentary about somebody, I would be looking for their consent. I would be keeping them up to speed and up to date with what the content is going to be and when it was going to be aired.

“It’s the timing and the lack of consideration and the lack of communication.”

Harper also questioned the impact the documentary could have on the ongoing investigation and called for its airing to be delayed.

The family of Robert Garwe and his five-year-old daughter Shauna Flanagan Garwe, both victims of the Creeslough explosion, made similar calls yesterday. 

“We’re not looking for this not to be aired. We’re not looking to put this on a shelf to gather dust,” said Harper.

“If we had have been contacted during the production of it and somebody had said, ‘here’s some footage, take a look at it’, maybe we wouldn’t be sitting here having this talk about it.”

Harper went on to say that his family were “not looking to give consent” but rather “just looking to be included and acknowledged”.

“Would 12 months not have been a better time, rather than four months [after the explosion]? I’m not going to be watching this documentary. I’m taking nothing from this.”

Taoiseach weighs in

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told the Dáil earlier today that he would be reluctant to tell TG4 what to do but he thinks the broadcaster should consult with Creeslough families who are still in mourning.

In response to a question from Donegal TD Pearse Doherty, who asked Varadkar if he thought the timing was appropriate, the Taoiseach replied:

“I want to once again extend my condolences to the people of Creeslough, who I know are still mourning and for whom this tragedy is still very, very raw.”

“What I ask TG4 to do is to perhaps sit down with the families concerned, maybe consult with them and having done that, make a decision as to whether or not they’re going to postpone the airing of the documentary.”

“I’m reluctant as head of government to tell any broadcaster what they should or should not broadcast. I don’t want to get into that space.”

“But I do hear what the families are saying and I think we all feel their pain would ask at the very least that TG4 would sit down with their representatives and discuss the matter and hear their case and try to understand.