Creelough families meet McEntee – The Irish Times

The families of those who died or were injured in the Creeslough tragedy are to meet the Minister of Justice Helen McEntee this week to discuss his call for an independent investigation into the incident.

Ten people died when the explosion tore through the heart of the city What Donegal village October 7, 2022

Robert Garwe and his five-year-old daughter Shauna Flanagan-Garwe died; Catherine O’Donnell and her 13-year-old son James Monaghan; fashion student Jessica Gallagher; Martin McGill; James O’Flaherty; Martyna Martina; Hugh “Hughie” Kelly; and Leona Harper, 14.

A Garda investigation into the possible causes of the tragedy is ongoing and nearing completion.

However, the families of those who were missing or injured in the Applegreen petrol station accident say an independent investigation is needed to ensure measures are in place to prevent a repeat of Creeslough.

Last month, on September 26, a lawyer representing the families of seven of the 10 people who died wrote to Minister McEntee’s office requesting a public inquiry.

Speaking on the second anniversary of the tragedy on October 7, the Minister said she was happy to meet all the Creeslough families.

Last week, the Creeslough Family Support Group, a group representing around 40 people who were directly affected by the explosion, wrote again to the Minister.

In a new letter to Ms McEntee, the group said the trauma so far is immeasurable.

“The impact this has had on the families, friends, schools that make up the community after the loss of 10 people has had a huge impact not only on the Creeslough community but on people outside the village and also across the county and the country.

“As a group, we all have our own questions that we think are valid. “We support the families in their efforts to understand the series of events that may have led to the suspected explosion that killed ten people,” the letter said.

They expressed fear that if a general election was called, their call for an independent inquiry would be forgotten.

“We are all concerned that this will impact our prospects for the meeting and that we will be seen as a distraction and a problem for the government in the future.

“We hope that this will not happen and that we will be provided with a meeting before elections are called and that this meeting will be given priority.

“As a group, we respectfully request that you bring this to your attention immediately and contact all involved to confirm the date of your requested meeting.”

The Minister’s office responded to the group by arranging a meeting for this week to hear their request for an independent investigation.

The meeting will take place on Wednesday, but the location has not been determined yet.