One of first responders to Creeslough explosion launches major fundraiser

A Donegal lorry driver who was one of the first people on the scene of the Creeslough explosion has launched a major fundraiser in aid of the heartbroken community.

Colin Kilpatrick, who drives for Bernard Long & Son Transport, has organised ‘Trucking For Creeslough’.

The event, on Saturday, February 4, will see a convoy of lorries meet at Bernard Long’s yard to leave at 1pm.

The lorries will travel, via Letterkenny, to Creeslough, before making their way back to the Silver Tassie Hotel.

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A fundraising auction of various items, under the hammer of experienced auctioneer Tony Morning, will take place at the Tassie.

Entertainment will be provided by the David Craig Band and DJ Tubbsy. A Facebook event has been created and you can keep up to date here.    

Colin, a native of St Johnston, was delivering at the Homeland Agri Stores, just across the road from where the horrific explosion caused devastation on October 7.

The explosion, at the Applegreen complex, claimed the lives of ten people.

Experienced trucker Colin, a former student at St Baithin’s NS and Deele College, and others frantically rushed to the scene.

He and others dug through the rubble as news of the tragedy began to spread across the world.

They worked, alongside emergency services personnel, through the night, aiding those trapped in the debris and searching for the bodies of those who remained missing into Saturday.

Five-year-old Shauna Flanagan Garwe and her father, Robert Garwe (50) who was originally from Zimbabwe, Catherine O’Donnell (39) and her son James Monaghan (13) were among those killed.

The explosion also claimed the lives of James O’Flaherty (48), Jessica Gallagher (24), Martin McGill (49), Hugh Kelly (59), Martina Martin (49) and 14-year-old Leona Harper.