Donegal coroner Dr Denis McCauley has been tasked with recruiting specialist engineers to examine the Creeslough disaster site.

The request was made by lawyer Damien Tansey, who represents some family members who lost loved ones in the 2022 explosion.

Mr Tansey said he wanted to determine whether there were structural problems in the building before the explosion which killed 10 people on October 7, 2022.

Last Wednesday, more than 20 bereaved families and survivors met with Justice Minister Helen McEntee, Donegal-based Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue and Environment Minister Eamon Ryan to press for an independent investigation carried out simultaneously with the Garda and the Health and Safety Authority (HSA).

Damien Tansey said there was “a lot going on behind the scenes” to move the case forward.

“I have written to the Donegal coroner, Dr Denis McCauley, and asked him to confirm that, in his role as coroner, he had engaged the services of a specialist firm of structural engineers,” Ms. Tansey at the Sunday Independent.

“It would be to determine that there were no structural problems in the building, prior to the explosion, that could have contributed to it. We need to ensure that there is no faulty structural design that could have negatively impacted what happened at the time of the explosion.

Four men, three women and three children, aged between five and 59, died in the explosion which ripped through the village’s Applegreen gas station and a neighboring building.

Gardaí have so far arrested four people as part of their investigation. All were released without charge.

“I have also written to the owners of the building, asking them to confirm that they will not move a stone until specialist structural engineers have examined the building,” Mr Tansey said, adding that it was up to the government to “act now”. .

“If they don’t give us that undertaking, I will seek an injunction from the High Court.

“The void is already two years old. The idea that the State would stand aside because a Garda investigation is underway is absurd.”

After Wednesday’s 90-minute meeting, bereaved families and survivors said they were moving closer to a statutory independent inquiry. ​

Coroner asked to recruit specialist engineers to examine Creeslough tragedy site was last edited: November 4, 2024 by Editor