The people of Creeslough in Co Donegal are showing a great example of solidarity after tragedy, President Michael D Higgins has said, as he attended the funerals of three people today who died in last week's blast.
President Higgins paid tribute to the efforts of those who took part in the search-and-recovery operation after the blast that killed ten people in the village on Friday.
The president returned to Ireland from Strasbourg and attended the funeral of James O'Flaherty this morning, before attending the funeral of Catherine O’Donnell and James Monaghan this afternoon.
President Higgins hugged and comforted Tracey and Hamish O’Flaherty at the start of this morning’s funeral mass for Mr O'Flaherty.
Afterwards, he said the courage and strength of 12-year-old Hamish speaking about his father and Tracey speaking about their relationship gave "great hope".
"I think it is very important what is being revealed now, in the response of the public, the response of the people of Creeslough and the great example they are giving," President Higgins said.
He added: "They have a very heavy burden of grief to carry.
"The way they are holding together is a great example. I think it is inspirational, the way people, not just in Donegal, but all over Ireland, have all been responding and being able to reveal their feelings and how their heart has been breaking.
"I think the courage and strength and love of Hamish speaking about his father, Tracey speaking about their relationship, they give great hope.
"When the funerals are over, it is very, very important that people build on these relationships of solidarity.
"Being here and meeting the families - what they are showing us is a great example."
The President described the efforts of the emergency services after the explosion as "unbelievable".
He said: "It was so impressive how effective, how fast, given that there were different services involved, about how they were all able to work together.
"It was a community of first-line services each doing their very, very best and being able to engage with the public.
"It is something to be very, very proud of.
"Given what people were going to be discovering, I don't underestimate at all the effect it has had on people.
"They did what was necessary in consideration and in co-operation with each other.
"As President of Ireland, I am very proud of them."
The president greeted crews from the ambulance service, coastguard, fire service, gardaí and the air ambulance in Letterkenny this evening.
He told them they were a credit to the country and that their efforts were appreciated and would be long remembered.
Doctors who had worked both at the scene and in emergency departments were also there, as were representatives of community care services.
Fr Gerry Lane of the Irish Community Air Ambulance Service helped triage patients at the scene.
He said he was "humbled" by the public recognition for all who came to help.
He said amazing work had been done in the most difficult of circumstances and it had "restored my faith" in the medical system.
He said years of planning, for a day they had all hoped would never come had kicked in and helped them to deal with the trauma they were presented with.
Local contractors who brought lights and heavy lifting gear to the scene were also present.
Dr Suma Rajan was the in-call consultant in Letterkenny University Hospital.
She acknowledged that the tragedy took "a personal toll" on staff but said their first thought was for the Creeslough community.
"It was the first time I was consultant on call where we wanted people to keep coming," she said.
"We didn't want to hear they'd stopped searching or that they couldn't retrieve any more survivors."
President Higgins also hailed the efforts of emergency services from Northern Ireland who contributed to the operation.
He said: "It shows what we share and what are our immediate human instincts of wanting to respond.
"These know no borders whatsoever, and that is the way it should be.
"I think it is really building up what we can share and do together.
"That is the way to go. Very often the instincts of the heart, the instincts of the spirit, are what is important."
Over the coming days, President Higgins will meet relatives of those killed in the tragedy, as well as members of the emergency services.
Funerals will continue to take place for the rest of the week in communities across northwest Donegal.
Books of condolence have been opened in towns and cities across Ireland.
Additional reporting by Conor Macauley
