Creeslough memorial: ‘Ten beautiful souls’ who died will be ‘forever held in our hearts’

At the sound of the first bell tolling to remember the victims of the Creeslough tragedy, the sun came out.

Ten yellow roses representing “ten beautiful souls” killed in a gas explosion in the Co Donegal village were then placed at the site of the blast in a ceremony on Saturday marking the first anniversary of the deaths.

A 1,500-strong crowd lined the main road under the shadow of Muckish mountain and fell silent shortly after 3pm – the time of the blast at the busy Applegreen filling station on this day last year – when the name of each victim was read aloud.

Birdsong and the gentle rustle of a leafy tree were the only sounds to be heard as the bell rang out 10 times.

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Four men, three women and three children died in the disaster when an explosion ripped through a building housing apartments and adjoining service station and shops packed with customers on a Friday afternoon.

Robert Garwe and his five-year-old daughter Shauna Flanagan-Garwe, Catherine O’Donnell and her 13-year-old son James Monaghan, fashion student Jessica Gallagher, Celtic fan Martin McGill, Sydney native James O’Flaherty, shop worker Martina Martin, carpenter Hugh “Hughie” Kelly and 14-year-old Leona Harper were killed.

Leading the service at a simple altar set up beside the boarded-up site, parish priest Fr John Joe Duffy said that this day last year will be “forever etched in to our memories with all its pain and devastation”.

“The memories of those who died will be forever held in our hearts. We will always hold them.”

The priest spoke of the difficulties for the bereaved families and the injured, “both in body and mind”.

“We as a community have been carrying each other,” he added.

Praising the “trojan efforts” of those who rushed to the scene that day and took part in the huge search and rescue operation, Fr Duffy thanked the emergency services from “across the island” who came to Creeslough.

Uniformed representatives from An Garda Síochána, the Ambulance Service, the Irish Coast Guard and the K9 search and rescue unit - including rescue dog Max who helped in last October’s operation - attended the ceremony, with Fr Duffy describing their presence as “comforting and soothing”.

“They are the very definition of the greatness of humanity at its best,” he said.

The cause of the explosion remains unknown and the site has been covered by an enormous 22ft grey hoarding as the Garda investigation continues; a newly erected glass display case holding 10 candles now stands in front of it.

[ Gas delivery system now at centre of Garda inquiry into Creeslough explosion ]

Before the service, people laid flowers at the foot of the case and prayed silently.

Rev Andrew Forster, Church of Ireland Bishop of Derry and Raphoe, also took part in the service while Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue represented the Government, with Deputies Joe McHugh, Pearse Doherty and Pádraig Mac Lochlainn were among the politicians in attendance.

Fr Duffy said he had received a personal message of support from Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.

The service concluded with a moving violin solo of Somewhere Over the Rainbow; many of the crowd, including locals from the village that is populated by just under 400 people, stayed to talk to each other in advance of a private evening Mass at St Michael’s Church for families and friends of those who died.

Addressing media afterwards, Fr Duffy, who gave last rites to the 10 victims and presided over many of the funerals, explained why he chose to set up the altar close to a particular tree on Saturday.

“I decided to pick that spot for the anniversary. I came to that tree the first morning before the funerals began with a member of the Garda who was based in Donegal town and we both prayed at that tree.

“That was something that gave me focus for the week ahead. Just out of this lane behind me a little boy came on his way to school. And just the joy of this child in the middle of heartache - that gave me great hope.

“The last year has been a difficult journey; a journey of mourning, a journey of healing, a journey of coping, particularly for those the tragedy took ten beautiful souls from, but also those who were injured in body, and all of us who were injured in mind on that day.

“The journey of recovery will continue for all of us for a long time to come. Unlike most journeys that we set out on life, in this journey of Creeslough we know neither the length nor the duration of the road ahead. But we know we will travel it together.”