SINN FÉIN LEADER Mary Lou McDonald and TDs Pearse Doherty and Pádraig MacLochlainn met with families of those who died and were injured in the Creeslough tragedy in 2022.

Doherty and MacLochlainn are both TDs representing Donegal.

On 7 October 2022, ten people were killed in an explosion at an apartment and Apple Green service station in the village of Creeslough in Donegal. Eight others were injured.

The deceased consisted of four men, three women and three young people, ranging in ages from five to 59.

The families are calling for a public inquiry into the tragedy. An investigation file into the tragedy was forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions in September 2025. 

McDonald and her fellow Sinn Féin TDs held a “lengthy meeting” with the families this afternoon in relation to their call for a public inquiry.

“It is almost three and a half years since this awful tragedy and the families continue to campaign for the truth,” McDonald said.

She said the “refusal” of current Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan to meet with the families has “caused huge hurt” and asked that O’Callaghan meet with them.

O’Callaghan said previously he had no issue with meeting the families but stressed there was a criminal investigation underway. McDonald said today it is important the “voices of the families are heard and it is possible to do this without in any way compromising the criminal investigation”.

“This is a process that is likely to continue for some time. The families believe that there are many questions that will not be answered by the criminal investigation and are calling for an independent public inquiry to take place at the same time,” she said.

“We believe that it is possible to have a public inquiry into the Creeslough tragedy at the same time as the criminal investigation is ongoing. This is something which was confirmed by the previous Garda Commissioner.”

The Sinn Féin leader said she would continue to raise the families’ case with the Taoiseach and Justice Minister.