London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Feb 21, 2026

Creeslough: Girl, 5, and dad among 10 killed in Donegal blast

Creeslough: Girl, 5, and dad among 10 killed in Donegal blast

The names of the 10 people killed by an explosion at a petrol station in County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland have been confirmed.

The victims of Friday's disaster include five-year-old Shauna Flanagan Garwe and her dad Robert Garwe, 50.

Catherine O'Donnell, 39, and her son James Monaghan, 13, also died.

Leona Harper, 14, Jessica Gallagher, 24, James O'Flaherty, 48, Martin McGill, 49, Martina Martin, 49 and Hugh Kelly, 59 also lost their lives.

The explosion happened in the village of Creeslough in the north-west of Ireland.

Father John Joe Duffy lit 10 red candles at St Michael's Church in Creeslough to remember each of the victims


On Sunday An Garda Síochána (the Irish police force) said its investigation into the cause of the blast was continuing.

Garda Supt Liam Geraghty said the victims were "all local people" who were "very much involved in the local community".


Friends pay tribute to victims


People from Creeslough have spoken about their friendships with the victims and have paid tribute to them.

Robert Garwe and his daughter Shauna had gone to the shop to buy a birthday cake.

Hundreds of people have turned out to remember the victims at vigils across County Donegal


"Shauna was a playful, energetic little girl - she always asked for a lollipop," said village pharmacist Fergus Brennan.

"Looking at her photograph as the names have been released brings home the tragedy of a life cut short - a beautiful little girl along with her dad."

Catherine O'Donnell and her son James Monaghan were in the queue for the post office inside the shop when the explosion happened.

They had gone there after he had finished school for the day.

This aerial view shows the extent of the damage at the service station


Jessica Gallagher was a fashion graduate who had studied in Paris and Shanghai and was due to start a new job as a designer in Belfast.

On Friday she was visiting her boyfriend in his apartment above the petrol station.

Aileen Níc Pháidín, who knew her well from their childhood, said she was a "lovely girl".

"Me and my brother would have been over a lot in her house and her mammy would have made us dinner - very good-hearted people," she said.

Teenager Leona Harper was described as a talented rugby player by her club in Letterkenny.

Her family said they were "eternally grateful" to those who had helped to find her body.

Leona was a supporter of Liverpool Football Club, which said it was deeply saddened by her death.


Martin McGill was described as a "devoted son" who cared for his elderly mother and regularly visited the pharmacy to collect medication for her.

"Martin's mum called the pharmacy to see if he had come in," said Mr Brennan.

"Tragically one of our team went up to [the petrol station after the explosion] and Martin's car was on the forecourt."

Mother-of-four Martina Martin was working in the shop when she was killed.

James O'Flaherty, who was originally from Sydney in Australia, was a father of one son, while Hugh Kelly, the oldest victim, was a farmer.


Prayers from the Pope


Pope Francis was among those who offered their condolences to the people of Creeslough.

In a letter, his representative wrote that the Pope was "saddened to learn of the loss of life and destruction caused by the explosion".

"He expresses his spiritual closeness to all those suffering in the aftermath of this tragedy," read the letter.

More vigils are planned for the coming days and condolence books will be opened across Ireland


On Sunday morning Bishop Alan McGuckian told Mass-goers in Creeslough that the village was "living through a nightmare".

He said the disaster was one that "anybody could have been caught up in".

"Why did they have to be there at that awful moment?" he asked.

Later almost 20 vigils were held in towns and villages across County Donegal in memory of the victims.


At the vigil in Milford: Rory O'Reilly, BBC News NI

As the rain came down on Sunday afternoon several hundred people gathered to pay their respects.

The loss is close to home for the community in Milford, a half-hour drive from Creeslough.

Two of those who died - Leona Harper and James Monaghan - attended Mulroy College in the town.

Parents hugged their children and tears were shed as music played and the names of the 10 victims were read.

A man in his 20s who was injured in the explosion is critically ill in St James's Hospital in Dublin.

Seven other people who were hurt are in a stable condition in Letterkenny University Hospital.

The service station and an adjoining apartment block were ripped apart by the blast


More details have emerged about the search operation to free those trapped in the rubble, during which the emergency services were helped by volunteers from the village.

Dr Gerry Lane told Irish national broadcaster RTÉ that the explosion had left the building "inherently unstable".

"I saw people in shorts and flip-flops wrenching corrugated iron away with their bare hands," he said.

"Those people were heroic but were placing themselves in a great deal of danger."

Rescue workers searched throughout Friday night to find those who had been killed and injured


JJ McGowan, the chief ambulance officer at the scene, described the difficult conditions encountered by the emergency teams.

"At one stage the fire service had constructed a small hole in the wall to get into part of the scene," he said.

"And all I could see was two of our boots sticking out of it.

"One of our lads [was] in there trying to see what he could see... through what you could only describe as a mouse hole."


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Confirms Preferential U.S. Trading Terms Will Continue After Supreme Court Tariff Ruling
U.S. and U.K. to Hold Talks on Diego Garcia as Iran Objects to Potential Military Use
UK Officials Weigh Possible Changes to Prince Andrew’s Position in Line of Succession Amid Ongoing Scrutiny
British Police Probe Epstein’s UK Airport Links and Expand High-Profile Inquiries
The Impact of U.S. Sanctions on Cuba's Humanitarian Crisis: A Tightening Noose
Trump Directs Government to Release UFO and Alien Information
Trump Signs Global 10% Tariffs on Imports
United Kingdom Denies U.S. Access to Military Base for Potential Iran Strike
British Co-founder of ASOS falls to his death from Pattaya apartment
Early 2026 Data Suggests Tentative Recovery for UK Businesses and Households
UK Introduces Digital-First Passport Rules for Dual Citizens in Border Control Overhaul
Unable to Access Live Financial Data for January UK Surplus Report
UK Government Considers Law to Remove Prince Andrew from Royal Line of Succession
UK ‘Working Closely with US’ to Assess Impact of Supreme Court Tariff Ruling
Trump Criticises UK Decision to Restrict Use of Bases in Potential Iran Strike Scenario
UK Foreign Secretary and U.S. State Chief Hold Strategic Talks as Tensions Rise Over Joint Air Base
Two teens arrested in France for alleged terror plot.
Nordic Fracture: How Criminal Scandals and Toxic Ties are Dismantling the Norwegian Crown
US Supreme Court Voids Trump’s Emergency Tariff Plan, Reshaping Trade Power and Fiscal Risk
King Charles III Opens London Fashion Week as Royal Family Faces Fresh Scrutiny
Trump’s Evolving Stance on UK Chagos Islands Deal Draws Renewed Scrutiny
House Democrat Says Former UK Ambassador Unable to Testify in Congressional Epstein Inquiry
No Record of Prince Andrew Arrest in UK as Claims Circulate Online
UK Has Not Granted US Approval to Launch Iran Strikes from RAF Bases, Government Confirms
AI Pricing Pressure Mounts as Chinese Models Undercut US Rivals and Margin Risks Grow
Global Counsel, Advisory Firm Co-Founded by Lord Mandelson, Enters Administration After Client Exodus
London High Court dispute over Ricardo Salinas’s $400mn Elektra share-backed bitcoin loan
UK Intensifies Efforts to Secure Saudi Investment in Next-Generation Fighter Jet Programme
Former Student Files Civil Claim Against UK Authorities After Rape Charges Against Peers Are Dropped
Archer Aviation Chooses Bristol for New UK Engineering Hub to Drive Electric Air Taxi Expansion
UK Sees Surge in Medical Device Testing as Government Pushes Global Competitiveness
UK Competition Watchdog Flags Concerns Over Proposed Getty Images–Shutterstock Merger
Trump Reasserts Opposition to UK Chagos Islands Proposal, Urges Stronger Strategic Alignment
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis advocates for a ban on minors using social media.
Liberal Senator Michaelia Cash Accuses Prime Minister of Lying to Australians
Meanwhile in Time Square, NYC One of the most famous landmarks
Jensen Huang just told the story of how Elon Musk became NVIDIA’s very first customer for their powerful AI supercomputer
A Lunar New Year event in Taiwan briefly came to a halt after a temple official standing beside President Lai Ching‑te suddenly vomited, splashing Lai’s clothing
Jillian Michaels reveals Bill Gates’ $55 million investment in mRNA vaccines turned into over $1 billion.
Ex-Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's arrested
Former British Prince Andrew Arrested on Suspicion of Misconduct in Public Office
Four Chagos Islanders Establish Permanent Settlement on Atoll
Unitree Robotics founder Wang Xingxing showcases future robot deployment during Spring Festival Gala.
UK Inflation Slows Sharply in January, Strengthening Case for Bank of England Rate Cut
Hide the truth, fake the facts, pretend the opposite, Britain is as usual
France President Macron says Free Speech is Bull Sh!t
Viktor Orbán getting massive praise for keeping Hungary safe, rich and migrant-free!
UK Inflation Falls to Ten-Month Low, Markets Anticipate Interest Rate Cut
UK House Prices Climb 2.4% in December as Market Shows Signs of Stabilisation
BAE Systems Predicts Sustained Expansion as Defence Orders Reach Record High
×