Family of two Creeslough victims ask TG4 not to air programme on tragedy

The programme on the shocking Donegal explosion that took 10 lives last October has been called “disappointing” by Killian Flanagan.

His five-year-old niece Shauna and sister’s partner Robert died in the blast.

“Tomorrow night Áine and others will be forced to look at a one-hour documentary revisiting the worst chapter of their existence, and seeing and hearing things for the first time and it’s not acceptable,” he told RTÉ’s Liveline.

The grieving uncle was speaking on behalf of his sister, who he says “hasn’t slept a wink” since she learned about the programme online.

He said: “She is trying to find out what happened and why it happened and last Tuesday it was sprung on everybody that TG4 had gone off and made the documentary."

Mr Flanagan said the programme should not be aired tomorrow night as planned.

"This should not the first representation of what happened," he said, explaining that the gardaí are not finished investigating the tragic explosion and families do not yet have all the answers to what happened on October 7.

"When the garda investigation is complete and when answers are provided, and when people can start to somehow process that, then maybe we can celebrate the work that was done by people.

“There’s no question of their unbelievable acts of heroism but to air that before the garda investigation is complete and to ask Áine and others to revisit the worst chapter of their existence when they’re trying to move forward, to me, is just beyond comprehension.”

He said when the investigation is complete, then it will be appropriate to celebrate the heroic first responders to the blast.

"This is too traumatising three months in to put anyone through at this point in time,” he added.

In a statement released to RTÉ, a spokesperson for TG4 said: "The focus of the documentary 'Iniúchadh TG4 - An Craoslach’ is to shine a light on the people of the area who assisted in the rescue at the scene of the explosion.

"It contains interviews with some of those who risked their own lives while bringing others to safety. They speak compassionately and sensitively about the roles they played helping others in the face of great adversity.

"The contributors wanted to express their gratitude at how an ordinary community came together at a time of great difficulty to try to assist their friends and neighbours

"Some of those who took part did so with the knowledge of some of those who lost loved ones. The programme shows the upmost respect for those who lost their lives.

"The programme does not report anything about the victims other than what has already been reported publicly in the direct aftermath of the tragedy."

The statement added that Clean State TV, the company who made the documentary, understands the need for sensitivity on the matter.