The year since the Creeslough tragedy has been “very tough and dark” for the Donegal community, one of the first Gardaí to arrive on the scene has said.

On October 7th, an explosion at a local petrol station killed 10 people - including three children - and the community has been dealing with the impact of their deaths ever since.

Local Garda and GRA President Brendan O’Connor said he was profoundly shocked by what he saw when he arrived at the scene shortly after the explosion.

“The terminology that was being used over the radio in relation to [the incident was] ‘temporary mortuary’ and having three helicopters circling over Creeslough, it was quite surreal to see that something so major could happen in what is a small rural village in Donegal,” he told Lunchtime Live.

“I suppose it’s a cliché but nothing would be happening on a normal weekend; it’s hard to comprehend the scale of what happened and how it impacted on the community.”

Firefighters leave the scene of an explosion at Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in County Donegal, 08-10-2022. Image: PA Images / Alamy

Garda O’Connor said the reality of community policing is that “nearly every day” he interacts with someone who was called out to the tragedy or lost a loved one.

There is, he said, a strong network of support for people who were directly impacted by the tragedy.

“I represent Guards who are dealing with the aftermath,” he said.

“Everyone’s dealing with their trauma in their own way and I think there’s a very strong sense of togetherness.

“People are aware that some people might be struggling, so while it’s been a very tough and dark year, I think some very good bonds have been established and there’s good support.”

Emergency services continue their work at the scene of the explosion in Creeslough, 08-10-2022. Image: PA Images / Alamy

A ceremony of commemoration will take place on Saturday at 3pm at the site of the tragedy; a vigil mass will follow at 7.30 that evening.

Gardaí say they are continuing to carry out their investigation into the explosion “diligently and as expeditiously as possible”.

Thus far, more than 1350 lines of enquiry have been actioned and over 900 statements have been taken.

Main image: A Garda leaves flowers at the scene of the explosion, 10-10-2022. Image: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews