Silent tributes to crash victims

A poignant minute’s silence was observed at the opening of Buncrana Music Festival on Thursday night last to the eight men killed in the horrific car crash on the Buncrana to Clonmany road two weeks ago. Thousands of music fans – many of them friends of those killed – stood in silence on the town’s Main Street at the start of the four-day musical extravaganza. The tribute followed minute silences held earlier in the week at meetings of the Inishowen Electoral Area Committee and Buncrana Town at which local county and town councillors paid tribute to the victims and expressed their sympathies to the families and friends of those who died. Councillors also praised the work of the emergency services, clergy, doctors, fire service, Gardai, undertakers and Letterkenny Hospital on the night of the accident and in the days since. Speaking at the Inishowen Electoral Area meeting in Carndonagh, outgoing chairperson Cllr Bernard McGuinness said the “terrible tragedy” had left the local community in “deep shock.” He also praised the people of the peninsula for the way they gave support to the families of the victims. His sentiments were shared by councillors, Buncrana Mayor Padraig MacLochlainn, Councillor Mickey Doherty and John Ryan who also expressed their sympathies to the families and commended all the services that provided support. Councillor Charlie McConalogue said it would take the peninsula a long time to recover. He said: “It was a terrible tragedy on the peninsula. I think it will be a long time before it recovers from this and many people won’t recover at all.” Councillor Rena Donaghey, who lost a family member in the tragedy, also paid tribute to the various services, including Letterkenny General Hospital “who provided refreshments from four in the morning to half ten that night,’ and the Gardai, who were at “all the wakes and funerals – they really pushed the boat out.” Buncrana Mayor, Councillor Padraig MacLochlainn suggested the Electoral Area Committee send a letter of thanks to each of the relevant services. The following day, at the Buncrana Town Council meeting held in the Civic Offices, a minute’s silence for the victims was also held.