Devastation

 The village of Creeslough in Co Donegal is devastated this morning after a shocking tragedy yesterday afternoon. At about 3:30, an explosion blew apart a building that housed the post office, a small local grocery store/ deli and the apartments that were above them. There is a filling station out front. So far there are 9 people who have lost their lives, but that number is expected to grow. Many are missing and they are now engaging in a search and recovery operation after having worked through the night to try to reach anyone who might be trapped. People were waiting outside all night for news and to support one another. All of Donegal seems to be reeling today and the rest of the country is shocked as well. But the devastation in Creeslough cannot be overstated. It's a community of just under 400 people and that location was a hub, especially on a Friday afternoon. Kids would go into the shop after school to get munchies or something from the deli. People would run in for last minute purchases before the weekend. People would be using the post office and picking up their pension payments. It's on the outskirts of the village and is really the only place to do these things. It's a tiny place.

It is a lovely village. A few years ago, we spent 5 days glamping right across the street from the shop. I loved it so when a place became available to rent there last year when we were looking, we jumped on it. We were in the process of moving to a place a two-or three-minute walk from there, but when we saw the lease we felt the landlord was not to be trusted so we declined to rent it. 

It is heartbreaking to think about the grief and suffering happening there right now. In a community that small, everyone is affected. Added to all the personal loss is the loss of a community space that was at the heart of the village. My heart goes out to everyone there. 

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