A woman who lost her sister in the Creeslough explosion has urged senior gardaí and Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan to ensure answers are delivered for bereaved families.
Lisa Gallagher said it is “very hard to trust in the process” when answers have not been provided three years after the tragedy that claimed the lives of her younger sister, Jessica and nine other people.
“We’re just being left in the dark,” she said. “We’re getting no answers.”
“No one seems to be willing to help us to find out why our family members and our loved ones are dead.”
“We have such wonderful neighbours here in Creeslough and the community as a whole have helped us so much, but they have got no answers, and they deserve it, too”.
A fashion and marketing graduate who studied in Paris and Shanghai, Jessica Gallagher, 24, was about to embark on her first job as a fashion designer at the time of her death.
Lisa described her sister Jessica as “the life and soul of the party who was smart, funny, creative and friends with everyone”.
“It’s been very difficult. Especially not having any answers. It’s been very hard for us to deal with our grief and deal with our hurt”.
In a statement, An Garda Síochána said an investigation, led by gardaí in its Donegal division, is ongoing with the intention of submitting a file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Five people have been arrested, questioned and released without charge as part of the investigation.
The investigation is supported by the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (GNBCI) and other agencies including the Health and Safety Authority (HAS) the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU).
No official explanation has been provided as to the cause of the explosion.
Families ‘left in the dark’
Lisa said the families and the community in Creeslough are “really being left in the dark”.
“We need political will to help us, ” she said. “We need senior gardaí to get a push on this as well”.
A spokesperson for Minister O’Callaghan said what occurred in Creeslough was a terrible tragedy and the Minister’s thoughts are with the victims, their families and loved ones, and the wider community of Creeslough, and all who were affected.
The spokesperson said: “As there is an ongoing criminal investigation, the Minister cannot comment in detail.”
Lisa Gallagher has called for senior gardaí to push for answers
They said a Family Liaison Officer, appointed by An Garda Síochána, engages with the families of the victims and provides updates to the families as the investigation progresses.
They added it was important to allow gardaí to continue with their ongoing investigation with the HSA and CRU.
They said: “These agencies are best placed to investigate all the understandable concerns of the families and the public; be it public safety, regulatory compliance, and/or any potential criminal responsibility”.
Lisa Gallagher said while thoughts are “well and good,” that “it’s up to the Minister to push this now”.
“It very disappointing that we’re still being left three years later and a Minister seems like they’re washing their hands when it is their responsibility to give us answers,” she said.
“I would say to the Garda Commissioner in their new role, if they want to make an impact, give us answers.
“It’s not just for me and my family. It’s for the entire Creeslough community.
The site of the Creeslough tragedy
“The entire country deserves to know what has happened, so it doesn’t happen again”.
The Creeslough explosion on 7 October 2022 claimed the lives of four men, three women and three children, ranging in age from five to 59.
They were five-year-old Shauna-Flanagan Garwe and her father -Robert Garwe (50), 14-year-old Leona Harper, 59-year-old Hugh Kelly, 24-year-old Jessica Gallagher, 49-year-old Martin McGill, 48-year-old James O’Flaherty, 49-year-old Martina Martin, 39-year-old Catherine O’Donnell and her 13-year-old son James Monaghan.
Family members and survivors met with ministers
Last October, more than 20 bereaved family members and survivors met with three cabinet Ministers, including the former minister of justice Helen McEntee where they sought an independent inquiry that would run concurrently to the ongoing garda investigation.
Following that meeting, the Ministers said they 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.
However, the statement issued at that time said while the ministers did not rule out a public inquiry it was important that the garda investigation, the HSA investigation and the CRU investigation complete their work.
Last June, An Coimisiún Pleanála overturned a decision made by Donegal County Council to grant Vivo/Shell Limited planning permission for the development of a new service station on the site of the explosion.
The decision was welcomed among families of the victims as it caused considerable upset.
One month from today marks the third anniversary of the Creeslough tragedy.
Lisa Gallagher remarked it is a difficult time of year as Jessica’s birthday is in late September, shortly before the anniversary of the explosion.
“It’s quite difficult when we have no answers as to why we can’t celebrate her birthday,” she said.
“We have to commemorate an anniversary of an explosion that we don’t know why it happened.
“Usually, when someone passes away you go through all the stages of grief. We’re stuck nearly at stage one because we don’t have any answers.”