Creeslough families call for public inquiry into explosion – The Irish Times

Several families who lost loved ones in the Creeslough explosion have called on the Irish government to launch a public inquiry into the tragedy.

A lawyer representing the next of kin of seven of the 10 victims of the October 2022 explosion in the County Donegal village has called for an independent investigation in a letter to Justice Minister Helen McEntee.

Their request comes as Gardaí continue to investigate the circumstances of the explosion that rocked the village’s Applegreen petrol station and a nearby block of flats on the afternoon of October 7.

Four men, three women and three children between the ages of five and 59 died in the explosion.

The cause of the explosion has yet to be officially confirmed by authorities, but a gas leak is believed to be the main point of investigation.

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The dead included 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.

The law firm Phoenix Law, which represents the majority of the families, has now written to Ms McEntee asking for a public inquiry or the establishment of a commission of inquiry.

Darragh Mackin, the families’ lawyer, said they had also requested a meeting with the minister.

The letter, seen by the PA news agency, said the Creeslough tragedy had been made worse by the lack of an independent, human rights-compliant investigation.

Mr Mackin represents the next of kin of Robert Garwe, Shauna Flanagan-Garwe, Catherine O’Donnell, James Monaghan, Jessica Gallagher, Martina Martin and Leona Harper.

Mr Mackin’s letter stressed that the victims’ families had to endure “unimaginable pain and suffering”.

“Their families cannot mourn their loss until they learn the truth about what happened, acknowledge the mistakes made, and learn concrete lessons to ensure an incident like this never happens again,” he wrote.

The letter pointed out that the incident was currently being investigated only as part of the Gardaí’s criminal investigation.

It said there was still uncertainty about when this process would be completed and whether there would be criminal proceedings.

Mr Mackin said the Gardaí’s statutory role was to investigate suspected criminal offences.

“They cannot be criticized for this restriction,” he added.

However, Mr Mackin said the Garda was unable to produce a public report on the incident, release documents to families or make recommendations to ensure a similar incident never happens again.

Regarding other types of investigations, the families’ lawyer said there were several reasons why a judicial investigation into the Creeslough case would be “inadequate and ineffective”, including the fact that such an investigation could take several years.

Mr Mackin said it was widely recognised within and outside the State that “complex and controversial deaths” require a parallel investigation while a criminal investigation is ongoing.

He said the recent investigation into the Grenfell fire in London was an “apt comparison” as it ran parallel to the police investigation.

Mr Mackin concluded: ‘In light of the above, we are formally requesting that the Minister consider commissioning an independent investigation in the form of a public inquiry or commission of inquiry. Terms will be agreed in consultation with the families.

He also asked the minister to consider meeting with the families.

In a statement, the ministry confirmed that it had received the letter and was “currently reviewing its contents.”

“As an investigation is currently ongoing, it would not be appropriate to comment further,” the ministry added.

In a statement, the Garda said: “The investigation being led by the Garda in the Donegal Division is continuing and it is intended to forward a file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.” – PA