Families of Creeslough victims lodge objection to new station with An Bord Pleanála

Stephen Maguire

The families of those killed in the Creeslough tragedy in Co Donegal have lodged an official appeal to the granting of planning permission for a new service station on the site of the horrific explosion.

10 people lost their lives following a massive explosion in October 2022.

Donegal County Council last month granted planning permission Vivo Shell Ltd to move forward with a new development on the same site.

But the approval caused uproar amongst the families and relatives of those who perished in the blast.

The families claim the construction of a new building on the same site as the one on which they perished is an insult to their memories.

The proposed new plan includes the erection of ten steel pillars to remember those who died.

But the families claim that this is "incredibly insensitive, cruel, callous and cold" as many of the dead were killed by steel and concrete.

They have now lodged an official appeal to An Bord Pleanála to stop the construction through their solicitor Damien Tansey.
They have cited four separate grounds on which they are appealing the new planning.

The objections include the fact that investigations are still ongoing to determine the cause of the explosion and if any wrongdoing occurred.

They also argue that it is against public policy to rebuild a development where a mass tragedy has occurred.

The appeal states “Both the Stardust Nightclub and the Grenfell Tower were never rebuilt, and the explosion in Creeslough is akin to those tragedies.

“Additionally, the proposed memorial of ten steel rods is incredibly insensitive, cruel, callous and cold as some of the victims were killed by steel and concrete in the explosion.

“Such a tactless memorial which would be located directly beside the proposed service station cannot be allowed,” they said.

They have also pointed to the fact that the inquests into the deaths of the ten victims have not yet taken place arguing that if the development goes ahead it will damage evidence in the ongoing case.

The letter to An Bord Pleanála is signed by 10 people.

They include the parents of the late Leona Harper, Hugh and Donna, her brothers, Anthony and Jamie, and Anthony’s partner Leah Clarke.

The appeal is also signed by Amanda Faul, Marie Ronaghan, Kathryn McDevitt, sisters of the late Martina Martin (nee Russell), and Nolene and Adrian McAuley, who lived in the building.