Families left devastated by the Creeslough tragedy were given the chance to thank those who fought bravely to save their loved ones at an emotional concert of hope on Monday night.
Ten people were killed when an Applegreen Service Station in the village was left in ruins following an explosion last October.
Members of the emergency services supported by locals spent the night pulling survivors from the rubble of the disaster as well as those who unfortunately perished.
On Monday, a concert involving some of the biggest names in Irish showbusiness helped to heal the scars left on the local community following the tragedy.
Fr John Joe Duffy, parish priest in Creeslough, said the concert was a "small way" of thanking "the emergency services and all those who helped on the night and in the days after this tragedy".
Fr Duffy attended all the funerals of those killed in the tragedy, and was a huge part of the healing process for the village and beyond.
"We also wanted the people of Creeslough to know that we are walking in solidarity with them now and in the future," he added.
Hope for the future
Organisers stressed the concert was not a fundraiser but rather to give the village a sense of hope for the future. It was attended by over 1,400 people.
Tickets for the 'Creeslough Together' concert which was held at the Aura Leisure Centre in Letterkenny sold out within hours of going on sale just before Christmas.
Many tickets were given out to the families of those caught up in the tragedy and all those who volunteered in the aftermath of the disaster.
Many brought together by tragedy on the afternoon and evening of October 7th when tragedy struck greeted each and embraced yet again and shared their own personal moments as they met before the concert.
There were smiles and tears but also a sense of healing as people gathered to support eachother and none more so was that emotion felt when the names of the ten people who lost their lives were read out.
Organiser Ciaran O'Donnell read out the names of Shauna Flanagan Garwe, Robert Garwe, Catherine O'Donnell, James Monaghan, Leona Harper, Jessica Gallagher, James O'Flaherty, Martin McGill, Martina Martin and Hugh Kelly. A minute of reflection was then held.
But what followed was a night of music, song and ultimately hope as the community of Creeslough try to regroup and rebuild but never forgetting the ten local people killed in this still unthinkable tragedy.
The idea for the concert was sparked after a conversation between former Westlife star Brian McFadden — whose father Brendan is a native of Creeslough — and music promoter Joe Gallagher.
Star-studded line-up
Soon a whose who of Irish stars including Brian Kennedy, Keith Duffy, Mickey Joe Harte and Lisa McHugh had signed up to appear.
The event was co-hosted by Donegal stars Moya Brennan of Clannad and Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh from Altan.
Speaking just before she went on stage Moya Brennan admitted that she was nervous hosting the event but was also very excited.
"I did hesitate when they asked me to host it along with Mairead but there is a lovely atmosphere and feeling and there is a greta sense of hope. The whole night is about: 'We haven't forgotten'.
"There are people here that haven't met since then between the first responders and the families and getting them together I think is a wonderful idea," she said.
She added that she hoped the families understood the concert was for them adding "We share the burden with them and they know that and that really does help people that you are not on your own. When you haven't got words music does a lot."
Expressing gratitude
Singer Brian Kennedy said Donegal and Creeslough had always held a very special place in his heart and that he simply could not say anything but yes when asked to perform.
"I was hoping that something like this would happen because with everything else that was happening I just wanted the people of Creeslough to know that we weren't forgetting about them."
He added that he was also thinking of the first responders and all those who helped and who were in the audience.
"We learned during Covid how important it is to thank first responders and that's not just by clapping in the streets but making sure they are paid properly.
"And this is our way of saying thank you to the first responders in Creeslough for all they had to face and go through on that night."
As well as some well-known faces, local schools including Scoil Mhuire and Faugher National School also took part in the concert.
Those who died in the tragedy were five-year-old Shauna Flanagan Garwe and her dad Robert Garwe, 50, Catherine O'Donnell, 39, and her son James Monaghan, 13, Leona Harper, 14, Jessica Gallagher, 24, James O'Flaherty, 48, Martin McGill, 49, Martina Martin, 49 and Hugh Kelly, 59.
A young man who was seriously injured in the blast and was transferred to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin has since been discharged.
