President Michael D Higgins has spoken of the “inspirational” response of the people of Ireland here and overseas to the Creeslough tragedy as nation’s “hearts are breaking together”.
Speaking in Derrybeg after the funeral of father-of-one James O’Flaherty (48), one of the ten killed in Friday’s explosion, the President said: “It is very important what is being revealed now in the response of the public, in the response of the people of Creeslough and the great example they are giving.
“They have a very heavy burden of grief to carry, and there isn’t any point in saying it is anything other than that.
“The way they are holding together is a great example... It is very inspirational the way in which people not only in Donegal but all over Ireland and indeed Donegal people abroad have all been responding and being able to reveal their feelings and that their hearts are breaking together with... members of the family.”
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On Wednesday, combined fundraising efforts for the family and the community exceeded the €1 million mark.
The Creeslough Community Support Fund, set up by the Irish Red Cross and supported by An Post and Applegreen, had raised €673,000 in the first 48 hours, organisers said on Wednesday.
A separate online fundraiser set up by a Co Donegal man living in Australia had raised almost €390,000 by Wednesday afternoon.
Gerard McFadden, (41) originally from Creeslough but now living in Australia, said: “It can’t help the suffering, it won’t bring back the deceased, but please God when the dust settles it’ll go some way to easing the burden.”
Mr Higgins, who cut short his trip to Strasbourg to travel to Creeslough, said the “courage and strength and love” showed by Mr O’Flaherty’s 12-year-old-son Hamish, who gave a heartbreaking speech at the end of his father’s funeral on Wednesday morning, gives “great hope” to people trying to come to terms with what has happened.
It is important now for “people build on the relationships of solidarity that have been built up” to help the bereaved and survivors through the weeks and months ahead, the President added.
On learning about the tragedy while overseas, he said: “It was unbelievable.”
“First of all, how uncertain it was when people were searching for relatives, not just those who had lost their lives but those who had injuries.
“But what was so impressive was how effective, how fast and... given that there were different services involved — in terms of security, and search and medicine and everything — about how they were able to work together.
“It was a community of first-line services — each sound their very, very best and engaging with the public — it is something to be very very proud of,” Mr Higgins said.
On the international response, including a message from King Charles III, Mr Higgins said there “was hardly anyone who could not be stunned by the magnitude of what was happening”.
At home, Ireland’s response in “being able to take the grief of other people into ourselves” shows “a very important aspect of character, of a person, of a community and of a people. I’m glad that was expressed, and I know it will continue”.
On cross-Border co-operation in the rescue effort, Mr Higgins said “it is very important that be acknowledged”.
“When something happens like what has happened, it shows what we share and our immediate human instincts of wanting to respond and come to assistance knows no borders at all and that is the way it should be.”
Mr Higgins later attended the joint funeral of Catherine O’Donnell (39) and her son James Monaghan (13) in St Michael’s church in Creeslough on Wednesday afternoon and is remaining there to attend the rest of the funerals, which will take place over the coming days.
Speaking to the media in Creeslough after the funeral of the mother and son, the president said it was a “privilege to be able to share with communities [which] are going through so much”.
The President said he intended to “stay for the rest of the funerals, I will have an opportunity to meet them all [the families] at some point.”
Again praising the example of Mr O’Flaherty’s son Hamish, who made a speech in tribute at his father’s funeral, the President said “it just shows you the good relationship that his father and mother had with him, but especially his father, reading him stories, that it was expressed in the kind of courage that he was able to muster himself.
“I hope as well that all these youngsters from schools [who were present at the funerals], they will have taken a lot from the example of the communities and their response,” he said.
Two of the 10 victims of the explosion — Jessica Gallagher and Martin McGill — were buried after funeral Masses in Creeslough on Tuesday.
The other victims were Robert Garwe (50) and his five-year-old daughter Shauna Flanagan Garwe, who were in the shop to buy a birthday cake; Leona Harper (14); Hugh Kelly (59); and Martina Martin (49).
