London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Oct 30, 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
Water pollution remains high despite £5bn investment
Regional Economic Divergence and Industrial Transformation
Technological Sovereignty and Regulatory Scrutiny
Fiscal Consolidation and Public Service Pressures
Automotive Industry Leadership Warns of Imminent Supply Chain Disruptions Following Recent European Trade Negotiations
High Court Delivers Landmark Ruling Affirming Strict Legal Protections for Corporate Data Privacy Against State Surveillance
Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan Secures Additional Funding for Regional Transport Infrastructure and Rail Modernization
Scottish First Minister John Swinney Announces Major Green Energy Infrastructure Investment Package for Aberdeen
Department for Work and Pensions Proposes Sweeping Welfare Reforms to Incentivize Long-Term Unemployed Back into Work
Competition and Markets Authority Launches Formal Investigation into Artificial Intelligence Partnerships Involving Major Tech Giants
United Kingdom Foreign Secretary David Lammy Concludes High-Level Strategic Talks in Washington on Middle East Security
National Health Service England Unveils Emergency Winter Resilience Plan to Combat Projected Surge in Emergency Admissions
Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey Signals Cautious Approach to Interest Rate Cuts Amid Persistent Inflation
British Chancellor Rachel Reeves Finalizes Corporate Tax Overhaul Ahead of Autumn Budget to Fund Public Services
Automotive Manufacturers Urge Government Action as High Energy Costs and Global Supply Chain Disruptions Threaten Production
Metropolitan Police Issue Formal Apology Following Inadvertent Release of Confidential Information During High-Profile Investigation
Scottish Finance Secretary Shona Robison Unveils Devolved Budget Highlighting Housing and Public Service Adjustments
Energy Regulator Office of Gas and Electricity Markets Prepares to Remove Household Gas Standing Charges Following Treasury Mandate
Treasury Confirms Reversal of Planned Cash Individual Savings Account Allowance Reduction Protecting Twenty Thousand Pound Limit
Office for Budget Responsibility Revisions Predict Moderate United Kingdom Economic Growth with Elevated Inflation Pressures
Chancellor John Healey Delivers First Autumn Budget in Parliament Highlighting Temporary Bank Surcharge and Cost-of-Living Support
Met Office Issues Extended Forecast Highlighting Stable High Pressure Weather Patterns Across the United Kingdom
Scottish Finance Secretary Shona Robison Outlines Changes to Tax Thresholds and Residential Property Levies in Edinburgh
Financial Markets and Government Bond Yields Remain Stable Following Muted Reaction to Autumn Budget Measures
Defence Committee Chair Tan Dhesi Criticizes Budget for Delaying Critical Defence Spending Decisions to Next Year
International Monetary Fund Forecasts United Kingdom Economic Growth at One Point Three Percent for Year
Office for Budget Responsibility Assesses Fiscal Headroom Reduced to Fifteen Billion Pounds Following Global Energy Shocks
Chancellor John Healey Delivers First Autumn Budget Introducing Household Energy Support and Bank Tax Hikes
Aberdeen City Council Co-Leader Faces Binding Vote Challenge as Local Councillors Launch High Court Legal Battle
Housebuilding Across Scotland Falls to Eleven-Year Low Despite Government Declarations of a Housing Emergency
Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown Organizes National Innovation Summit in Manchester to Boost Regional Competitiveness
UK Government Faces Mounting Criticism Over Lack of Environmental Consultation During Artificial Intelligence Datacentre Expansion Talks
Greggs Announces Closure of Four Major Manufacturing Facilities Across Britain Resulting in Seven Hundred Forty Job Losses
British Retail Consortium Warns That Cumulative Employment and Regulatory Costs Threaten High Street Price Stability
Lloyds Banking Group Chief Executive Charlie Nunn Warns That Increased Bank Taxes Could Deter Long-Term Economic Investment
Ipsos Polling Reveals Seven in Ten Britons Expect Personal Tax Increases Amid Deep Public Economic Pessimism
Chancellor John Healey Delivers First Autumn Budget in Parliament Amid Tight Fiscal Constraints and Slower Growth Forecasts
United Kingdom Finance Monthly Review Highlights Rising Long-Term Borrowing Costs and Persistent Energy Price Pressures Across British Markets
Royal Marines Pioneer Rapid Autonomous Drone Operations During Major High North Exercise Involving NATO Allies
House of Commons Justice Committee Urges Chancellor to Align Prison and Courts Reform Ambitions With Concrete Budgetary Resources
Government Investigates Rapid Artificial Intelligence Datacentre Expansion Strategy Following Scrutiny Over Power Grid Demands and Planning Backlogs
His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary Warns Third-Party Supplier Breaches Threaten United Kingdom Police and Fire Service Data
Number of British Businesses in Financial Distress Reaches Highest Level in Two Decades Ahead of Fiscal Announcement
Chancellor John Healey Prepares Autumn Budget Amid Intense Market Scrutiny Over Fiscal Headroom and Spending Pressures
Education or Indoctrination? The Growing Debate Over Religious Participation in British Schools
Germany's Vanishing Shopfronts: The Silent Collapse of the Businesses That Built Its Cities
Northern Ireland Executive Reaches Agreement on Public Transport Modernization and Cross-Border Rail Infrastructure Funding
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero Approves New North Sea Carbon Capture and Storage Industrial Clusters
Office for National Statistics Reports Stabilization in Private Rental Growth Across Major English and Welsh Regional Cities
United Kingdom Automotive Manufacturing Output Rises Moderately as Electric Vehicle Assembly Lines Expand in the Midlands
×