Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has called on the Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan to meet the families of the Creeslough tragedy without delay and hold a public inquiry into the explosion that claimed the lives of ten people.
The explosion at a service station and apartment complex in Creeslough village on 7 October 2022 claimed the lives of four men, three women and three children, aged between five and 59 years of age.
Speaking to reporters before a meeting with bereaved family members in Letterkenny, the Sinn Féin leader said she was conscious three and a half years have passed and families have many questions and no answers.
"It’s now imperative that the Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan meets with the families without any delay.
Families call for public inquiry into Creeslough explosion
"It's also essential that there is a public inquiry, and that can happen alongside the criminal investigation, as confirmed by the previous garda commissioner.
"Our hearts go out to these families. They have suffered just enormously unthinkable grief, and they should not be left in limbo in this way. We believe that is cruel and unnecessary," she said.
Gardaí sent a primary file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions on 29 September 2025, and a second file is expected shortly.
Bereaved family members who lost loved ones in the tragedy have been calling for a public inquiry to run alongside the ongoing garda investigation and for a meeting with Minister O'Callaghan.
The minister recently declined an opportunity to meet the families, citing the advanced stage of the ongoing investigation.
Writing on behalf of the minister, a department official conveyed their sympathies and added that the criminal investigation was the "most appropriate process" to address their concerns.
They said it was important the investigation was progressed and not jeopardised in any way and added they appreciated this was not the response they sought.
Minister O’Callaghan told reporters in Cavan last week while he had "no difficulty" meeting the families, time must be allowed for potential prosecutions to be initiated.
He said that he hopes there will be criminal prosecutions and added there will be an inquest and "other statutory investigations" after the end of the criminal proceedings.
He continued: "If, at the end of the process, there are answers that still need to be provided I’ll certainly consider an inquiry."
In relation to calls for a public inquiry, a department spokesperson said the Government must be careful not to take steps that could compromise the criminal investigation.
O'Callaghan should meet families, says McDonald
Ms McDonald stressed ahead of the meeting that the Minister O’Callaghan should meet the bereaved and allow for a public inquiry alongside the ongoing criminal investigation.
"There is no reason for delay. The meeting needs to happen. The public inquiry needs to commence. The questions that these families who have suffered so much, their questions now need to be answered," the Sinn Féin leader said.
She added: "There needs to be a compassion and decency and there needs to be a sense of justice for these families three and a half years on, and the families are none the wiser that to us is utterly unacceptable."
Ms McDonald, Sinn Féin’s Donegal TDs Pearse Doherty and Pádraig Mac Lochlainn along with councillors John Shéamuis Ó Fearraigh and Gerry McMonagle are currently meeting the family members who lost loved ones.
Ms McDonald said they planned to listen to the families, engage and reassure them of the party’s support for their calls.
"We're here to reassure them of that, to add our voice to theirs in calling for what is right, and I hope at some level as well to give a level of human recognition and comfort too," she said.
'Minister Jim O'Callaghan needs to be sitting down and talking to us'
Following the meeting, Donna Harper, who lost her 14-year-old daughter Leona in the Creeslough tragedy, welcomed Sinn Féin's backing for a public inquiry and a meeting with the Justice Minister.
"We're pushing very hard for the public inquiry because it's really important to us. We need to know exactly what happened to our loved ones. We need the fine details," she said.
"So far, we're happy with the garda criminal investigation, but again, we're only going to get so much out of that, so it's very important that we get the public inquiry.
"Now is the time that Minister Jim O'Callaghan needs to be sitting down and talking to us. We're hoping that he will give us that moment to talk."
Shauna Gallagher, who lost her 24-year-old sister Jessica, told RTÉ News the families are continuing with the same request they have made since the explosion for a public inquiry and called on the Government to listen to the families.
"We feel we're not being listened to or taken seriously by the Government. It's very sad that we're still here, still asking to be listened to and to be heard as families of the those who were killed," she said.
Christine Evans, a survivor who worked at the deli in the service station, said she asked questions of the Sinn Féin leader that she felt should be answered by the Justice Minister.
"As a survivor, I've never had to deal with anything like this before, and I support the families 100% and always have done, but it's important that we get this meeting with Minister Jim O'Callaghan," she said.
"He needs to hear us. I put questions to Mary Lou MacDonald today that really should have gone to the Minister for Justice."
The ten people who died in the Creeslough tragedy were five-year-old Shauna Flanagan Garwe and her father Robert Garwe, 50, 14-year-old Leona Harper, 59-year-old Hugh Kelly, 24-year-old Jessica Gallagher, 49-year-old Martin McGill, 48-year-old James O'Flaherty, 49-year-old Martina Martin, 39-year-old Catherine O'Donnell and her 13-year-old son James Monaghan.
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