‘Good to talk’: Creeslough priest Fr John Joe Duffy on his return to counselling 

Fr John Joe Duffy has told how he has returned to trauma counselling in recent months.

The Creeslough curate spoke at a prayer service in the north Donegal village on Monday night, marking two years since 10 people were killed in an explosion.

Fr Duffy, who led prayers at the site of the explosion at 3.17pm - the exact time of the explosion - on Monday, told a packed St Michael’s Church of the importance of talking.

“I encourage you to do as I have done and seek help,” he said to a congregation that included bereaved family members, survivors of the explosion and some who responded to the tragedy. 

“People are now in some cases only able to speak about their feelings around the tragedy. 

“I myself went through the GP service for counselling. I have a very good counsellor and for a good three quarters of a year I did not go to her. I did not feel the need. 

“In the last number of months, I have entered again into counselling with the counsellor through the GP service.”

READ NEXT: Creeslough: ‘We just want to know what happened, how it happened and why’

In the immediate aftermath of the blast, Fr Duffy became the public face of his community, for whom he was a beacon of hope and strength. 

Fr Duffy attended the funeral of each of the 10 victims in the week after the explosion.

In the weeks following the harrowing incident, Fr Duffy spoke of how his mind went into “overdrive”.

This week, he said: “It is good to have someone to talk to. Not that you have to bear your soul or anything like that, but good to have people to talk to. I encourage you to talk. 

“There will be challenges and there will be difficulties. Many of those will arise from time to time, the emotional challenges, the challenges of trauma and grief that families experience on a daily basis.

“I encourage you all to be gentle with yourselves on the journey and not to expect a whole lot at any given time from yourselves. Let us all be caring towards each other on that journey also.”