Creeslough father demands public inquiry four years after explosion killed his daughter

Four years after a devastating explosion tore through a service station in the County Donegal village of Creeslough, the father of one of the ten victims has said his family remains trapped in grief, still searching for answers about what caused the blast that took his teenage daughter's life.

Leona Harper, a 14-year-old schoolgirl, was one of ten people killed when the explosion ripped through the Applegreen service station on 7 October 2022. She had travelled to Creeslough for a sleepover and was heading into the shop to buy ice cream when the blast occurred.

Her father, Hugh Harper, has described how the family home remains a shrine to their lost daughter. Leona's coat still hangs in the hallway. Soil from the pitch of the last rugby game she played remains on her boots. Her bedroom has been left untouched, exactly as it was on the day she left for what was supposed to be a fun weekend with friends.

Speaking to BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme, Mr Harper said the passing of time has brought no relief from the anguish of not knowing exactly what happened in the moments before his daughter died. He described the experience as a "maze of rabbit holes," where one question inevitably leads to another, creating a cycle of "torture and torment" for the bereaved family.

"You never expect something like this to come to your door as a parent," he said. "And when it does, and it was so sudden, it is very hard." He added that the family returns each evening to a house that no longer feels the same, and they are still struggling to adjust to their new reality.

No official explanation has ever been provided for the cause of the explosion, and despite a number of arrests, no one has been charged in connection with the blast. The lack of accountability has left families in a state of limbo, unable to move forward while fundamental questions remain unanswered.

Gardaí, the Irish police force, have confirmed that a second file was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions in April, in addition to a primary file forwarded last September. This suggests the investigation remains active, though the passage of four years without charges has deepened frustration among victims' families.

The Harpers, along with other victims and their relatives, have been campaigning for a full public inquiry into the explosion. They argue that only a public inquiry has the legal power to compel witnesses to testify under oath and provide the definitive answers they have been denied through the normal investigative process.

Mr Harper said the family is "steadfast" in this demand. "A public inquiry is the only tool to compel people to be questioned under oath and get definitive answers," he said, adding that the family remains "desperate for answers" about the events of that day.

In July, a meeting was held in Dublin between the families and Taoiseach Micheál Martin, reflecting the sustained pressure campaigners have placed on the Irish government to escalate the investigation into a formal inquiry. However, no public inquiry has yet been announced.

The grief of the families has been described by Mr Harper as "frozen in time." He explained that every morning when he wakes, his first thought is of Leona and the unanswered questions surrounding her final moments. "We are stuck on the 7th October 2022," he said. "Until we have answers, our grief is frozen in time."

The father recalled the promise he made when Leona was born. "I was the first to hold her," he said. "I made her a promise that I would keep her safe and not let anything happen to her." He acknowledged that he could not keep that promise in the way he had hoped, but vowed to continue protecting her memory. "Even though Leona is not physically here, I feel she is still with me," he said. "I will do my best to protect her name and get to the bottom of exactly what happened."

The investigation has been marked by its complexity and the scale of the tragedy. The force of the blast caused extensive damage to the roof of the service station, exposing broken wooden trusses and partially collapsed internal walls. Emergency workers in protective suits had to be lifted on cherry picker platforms to inspect the devastated structure in the aftermath.

A statement from the Irish Department of Justice said that Minister Jim O'Callaghan's thoughts remain with the families, survivors, and the wider community of Creeslough as the anniversary approaches. The statement emphasised that the focus of the investigation remains on allowing the investigative processes to proceed independently and without prejudice so that the full facts can be established.

Gardaí also issued a statement saying that "the victims, their families and the community are in our thoughts" on the anniversary. They renewed their appeal to anyone with information about the fatal explosion to come forward and speak to investigators.

A commemoration service is scheduled to be held on Wednesday in Creeslough to remember the ten victims. Mr Harper confirmed that his family will travel to the village to honour Leona and the others who lost their lives.

The Creeslough explosion remains one of the deadliest incidents in recent Irish history. The village, a tight-knit community in the northwest of Ireland, has struggled to come to terms with the loss. For families like the Harpers, the annual commemoration is both a moment of collective mourning and a painful reminder that the truth about what happened that day has yet to be fully revealed.

Mr Harper said he will "leave no stone unturned" in his pursuit of answers. His determination reflects the broader demand from victims' families for transparency and accountability. Until a public inquiry is established, they say, they will continue to live in a state of suspended grief, unable to find closure while so many questions remain unanswered.