Donegal Council Endorses Call for Creeslough Explosion Public Inquiry

Donegal County Council has approved a proposal urging the forthcoming Irish government to initiate a public inquiry concerning the Creeslough explosion. This proposal specifically requests that the incoming administration establish an independent, statutory, judicial public inquiry within its initial 100 days in office, featuring open terms of reference. The explosion, which resulted in the deaths of 10 individuals, occurred at a service station in the County Donegal village on 7 October 2022. Those who perished – comprising four men, three women, two teenagers, and a five-year-old girl – resided either in the village itself or its vicinity. The deceased were identified as Robert Garwe and his five-year-old daughter Shauna Flanagan Garwe; Catherine O’Donnell and her 13-year-old son James Monaghan; Jessica Gallagher; Martin McGill; James O’Flaherty; Martina Martin; Hugh Kelly; and 14-year-old Leona Harper. Creeslough, a small village located in Ireland’s north-west, lies approximately 15 miles (24km) from Letterkenny and 30 miles (48km) from the Northern Irish border. Its population is estimated at around 400 residents. The motion, put forward by independent councillor Frank McBrearty, received unanimous approval during Monday’s full session of Donegal County Council. A number of family members who lost loved ones and individuals who survived the explosion attended the council meeting. An inquiry by An Garda Síochána, Ireland’s national police service, into the deadly explosion remains active. This investigation is being spearheaded by local gardaí within the Donegal Division, with assistance from the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (GNBCI) and various other bodies, such as the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) and the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU). Earlier in the current year, several bereaved relatives and survivors of the incident urged the Irish government to establish a public inquiry that would proceed simultaneously with the existing police investigation into the tragedy. Certain families advocating for the Irish government to initiate an independent investigation have also previously held meetings with Irish justice minister Helen McEntee, minister for agriculture Charlie McConalogue, and minister for the environment Eamon Ryan. Following that meeting, a statement issued by the ministers indicated that they had “communicated to those present the strong desire of government that families get the answers they need in relation to the loss of their loved ones in what was a national tragedy”. The ministers further stated: “While the ministers did not rule out a public inquiry it is important that the garda investigation, the HSA investigation and the CRU investigation complete their work.”