Memorial garden and long-term trauma support mooted for Creeslough Fund balance

The Irish Red Cross will continue to liaise with the Creeslough community and families bereaved by the Creeslough Explosion as it considers the €144,000 that remains in the Creeslough Fund.

A meeting took place on Tuesday night in Creeslough which was attended by various stakeholders.

There is €144,146 remaining from the funds donation to the Creeslough Fund in the wake of the October 2022 explosion in which ten people lost their lives.

The provision of long-term trauma support and the erection of a memorial garden to commemorate those lost in the horrific blast are among the suggestions being considered.

Nineteen people attended Tuesday's meeting and the Irish Red Cross say that the affected families will be consulted again ahead of a further meeting in September. A website is likely to be set up to showcase plans and allow people to see the possibilities for the funding.

“We want to focus on the community and the community's need,” said Liam O'Dwyer of the Irish Red Cross.

The organisation has also extended an invitation for families to meet with them.

A total of €1,906,349 was donated to the fund managed by the Irish Red Cross in the aftermath of the tragedy.

Families and individuals impacted by the explosion received shares of €1,762,203, which was offered as emergency and planned lump-sum payments. Donations were provided to bereaved families, those who were injured and those who lost their homes or jobs.

Applegreen donated €50,000 and €693,382.60 was raised via a GoFundMe organised by Creeslough native Gerard McFadden who distributed the funds to the families of those who lost their lives and some who were injured.

Five-year-old Shauna Flanagan-Garwe and her father, Robert Garwe (50) lost their lives, as did Catherine O’Donnell (39) and her 13-year-old son, James Monaghan.

Leona Harper, aged 14, and Jessica Gallagher (24) were killed along with shop assistant Martina Martin (49).

James O’Flaherty (48), Martin McGill (49) and Hugh Kelly (59) were the other victims of the horrific explosion.

A Garda investigation into the blast is also continuing.

Gardai intend to submit a file on the incident to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Once a file has been submitted, the DPP will ultimately determine if criminal charges are to be brought against any persons and what those charges are to be.

The investigation is one of the most complex undertaken by gardai with over 1,350 lines of inquiry open and around 1,000 statements taken.

The investigation is being co-ordinated from Milford Garda station where an Incident Room is established under the direction of a Garda Senior Investigating Officer.

The probe has been focussed on the gas system at the complex, including how it was operated and maintained.

DNV (Det Norske Veritas), a Norwegian company specialising in the investigation and testing of energy systems, were drafted in to aid.