Online fundraisers for families of Creeslough disaster raise more than €700,000

Fundraising drives established to support the families of the victim’s and those injured in last week’s Creeslough explosion have generated more than €700,000 so far.

The Government has also agreed to extend access to the humanitarian fund to those affected by last Friday’s tragedy in the north Co Donegal village, in which 10 people died.

A Co Donegal man living in Australia, who set up an online fundraiser, said he has been “overwhelmed” after his appeal raised more than €350,000.

Gerard McFadden, (41) originally from Creeslough but now living in Australia, said the money would be put towards assisting the families of the deceased and others injured in the disaster.

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Mr McFadden said he had felt “helpless” while sitting at home with his wife on Saturday morning reading news of the tragedy. His GoFundMe drive quickly raised tens of thousands.

“When we set it up we thought it might raise €5,000 or €10,000 to help the families,” he said.

However, by noon on Tuesday the fundraiser had brought in some €350,000, with more than 8,000 donations received.

“It can’t help the suffering, it won’t bring back the deceased, but please God when the dust settles it’ll go some way to easing the burden,” he said.

The Irish Red Cross also set up an appeal for donations to a Creeslough community support fund, to provide assistance to local people bereaved or impacted by the disaster.

A spokesman for the organisation said some €352,000 had been pledged its appeal to date, including a €50,000 donation from petrol station chain Applegreen and a £10,000 payment from Celtic Football Club.

Mr McFadden said the funds raised by his campaign would go directly to the families of the bereaved and others who had been injured in the explosion. He said he would work with Creeslough Community Association to “discuss the needs of the community as we move through this awful time together”.

He said he planned to return to Donegal in the coming weeks “to sit down and draw up a plan” with others from the community for how best to allocate the money raised.

“Every penny is needed to get the village back to the way it was,” said Mr McFadden, who works in the construction sector and has lived in Australia since 2006.

He said he has always returned to Creeslough on holidays back to Ireland. “It’s a typical small Irish village. Every time you head home it’s like you never left,” he said.

Speaking after a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys said the support of the humanitarian fund would be made available to those who need it in the Creeslough community.

The system of payments is normally used to help households who have been affected by floods. Under the scheme, households can earn up to €70,000 and still avail of the aid.

“Given the heartbreaking events that have taken place in Creeslough, we are going to make that support available to households that have been directly impacted,” the Minister said, adding that “the community is going to endure some very, very difficult moments” in the weeks and months ahead.

She said Department of Social Protection welfare officers were on the ground in Co Donegal working with the community.

When asked if a Government inquiry may take place into what happened in Creeslough, Minister for Public Expenditure Michael McGrath said “much depends on the outcome of the investigations that are under way”.

“We all want to know precisely what happened and what lessons can be learned from it,” he said. “Our focus for now is on ensuring that the supports are in place: health supports, psychological supports, supports in the schools and the local community, supports for the community organisations, supports for the households who have been devastated.”