Minister tells Creeslough families will consider inquest

Solicitors representing the family members of those killed and injured in Creeslough said the Minister for Justice is considering whether an inquest can begin before the criminal investigation is completed.

Minister Jim O'Callaghan met with a number of the bereaved this lunchtime for over an hour and heard their calls for an inquiry.

While the minister has said an inquiry cannot take place before the garda investigation is finished, it is understood he will consider an inquest.

Darragh Mackin, who represents some of the families, said: "The minister has now confirmed unequivocally to these families that he will consider holding an inquest with a senior judge or the senior coroner, something similar to Stardust.

The ball is now in the minister's court.

"These families have waited too long for a decision for an independent investigation.

The ball is now in the minister's court to give that decision in the near future, and we warmly welcome that imminent timeframe."
Family members welcomed this and said they would like to see the groundwork to an inquest begin.

Ann Marie Boyle, whose sister Catherine O'Donnell and nephew James Monaghan died in the blast, said: "If we can get all preliminary things done now, it will speed things up, rather than just have to start going through another investigation.

"And that's what was very welcome … when he said he would consider all of that."
Donna Harper, whose 14-year-old daughter Leona died in the blast said she welcomed the meeting and felt she had been heard by the minister.

"We do appreciate the time he gave us, but at the same time, we're coming on to four years now on the 7 October.

I mean, my wee girl was killed on the seventh, and she was 14 when she was killed.

"January past, she should have been 18, and she should have been making her prom and so on.

"And you've got all them milestones in front of you, and we would really, really love to see if he could agree to giving us the inquiry right now," Ms Harper said.

On the prospect of an inquiry, Ms Harper said: "He wants to see if there's going to be prosecutions first and go down that route first.

[In terms] of the public inquiry, he hasn't said yes, but he hasn't said no.

"He said that after, if there is going to be prosecutions through the courts, that he will certainly meet us again if we still have questions that need to be answered."
A number of files have gone to the DPP, and Solicitor Damien Tansey said the minister told the families that the Director of Public Prosecutions would generally take a number of months to consider those.

"I specifically asked him that, and his answer was that a number of files have been sent by the various bodies, the [gardaí], the HSA and the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities, his answer was that all of those bodies have sent files to the DPP.

"And it normally takes the DPP from three to six months to make a decision as to whether there will be a criminal prosecution.

So … we'll be watching that very carefully."
It is the first time the families of those killed and injured in the Donegal explosion have met with the current Minister for Justice.

The explosion on 7 October 2022 tore through a service station in Creeslough in north Donegal, killing ten people and injuring many more.

Those who died in the Creeslough tragedy were 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 Leona Harper.

While a sudden gas leak is suspected to have caused the explosion, a garda investigation has yet to be completed.

Almost four years on, the families of those who died or were injured said they still have questions and are calling for an inquiry into the tragedy.