Latest news with #Applegreen
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
Creeslough: Victims' families launch civil case
A number of family members have started civil proceedings for "personal injury loss and suffering arising out of the tragedy at Creeslough", a law firm has blast, which killed 10 people, happened at a service station in the County Donegal village on 7 October cases are being brought against the operators and owners of the Applegreen service station, as well as the management company for the adjoining victims - four men, three women, two teenagers and a five-year-old girl - were from the village or surrounding areas. Darragh Mackin of Phoenix Law, which represents 11 people in the civil proceedings, said "many unanswered questions" remain around the tragedy. "Given the delay in the state initiating an independent inquiry along the lines the families have asked, our clients have no alternative but to pursue all available legal remedies to access the truth and the answers they so deserve," he said. "Akin to the planning permission challenge, it is abhorrent that these families are forced to, yet again, take the legal process into their own hands to get justice for their loved ones."Another firm, Damien Tansey Solicitors LLP, representing other families and survivors has ben approached for listed include; Applegreen Ltd, Donegal County Council, Vivo Shell Ltd, the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities, and Duntally Woods Apartment Owners Management Company. Creeslough explosion Creeslough is a small village in the north west of the island of Ireland, about 15 miles (24km) from Letterkenny and 30 miles (48km) from the border with Northern has a population of about 400 blast resulted in the highest number of civilian casualties in a single incident in the county in who died were Robert Garwe and his five-year-old daughter Shauna Flanagan-Garwe; Catherine O'Donnell and her 13-year-old son James Monaghan; Jessica Gallagher; Martin McGill; James O'Flaherty; Martina Martin; Hugh Kelly; and 14-year-old Leona November 2024, Donegal County Council passed a motion calling on the next Irish government to establish a public inquiry into the Creeslough February, Donegal County Council granted planning permission to Vivo Shell Ltd to redevelop the existing building at the site by building a new petrol station and family members appealed the decision and in June planning permission was refused.
Sunday World
3 days ago
- Sunday World
Widow of man killed in Creeslough explosion sues over fatal blast
James O'Flaherty was 48-years-old when he lost his life in the explosion which occurred at 3.17 pm on October 7th 2022. Emergency services at the scene after an explosion at a service station in Creeslough, Co Donegal Pic:Mark Condren 8.10.2022 Mourners at the funeral mass of Creeslough victim James O'Flaherty at St Mary's Church Derrybeg. Photo by Steve Humphreys12th October 2022. THE WIDOW of a father-of-one killed in the deadly Creeslough explosion has initiated a personal injury case in the High Court. Papers were lodged before the High Court on June 17th by solicitors Damien Tansey on behalf of James O'Flaherty's widow Tracey O'Flaherty naming 11 parties to be summonsed. The parties include Danny and Annette Lafferty, the siblings who owned the petrol station destroyed in the explosion, Applegreen, Vivo/Shell Ltd, the Duntally Wood apartment owners management company, the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities, the Registrar of Gas Installers of Ireland and Donegal Co. Council. Two other named individuals and an architecture company have also been summonsed. Mourners at the funeral mass of Creeslough victim James O'Flaherty at St Mary's Church Derrybeg. Photo by Steve Humphreys12th October 2022. Contacts from the Sunday World with solicitors Damien Tansey Solicitors did not elicit a response this week. The company, which has offices in Dublin and Sligo, is known for its expertise personal injury claims and says it helped clients 'win some of the largest compensation payouts through the Irish courts.' James O'Flaherty News in 90 Seconds - July 26th James O'Flaherty was 48-years-old when he lost his life in the explosion which occurred at 3.17 pm on October 7th 2022. Mr O'Flaherty, was originally from Sydney in Australia, but was living with his wife Tracey and son Hamish in Dunfanaghy, a village about 10 minutes' drive from Creeslough. 12-year-old Hamish was sitting in Volvo in the service station forecourt when the explosion demolished a shop, filling station and a block of apartments. Emergency services at the scene after an explosion at a service station in Creeslough, Co Donegal Pic:Mark Condren 8.10.2022 In total, the explosion caused the deaths ten people and left eight hospitalised. Investigators later identified an accidental gas leak as a possible cause. At Mr. O'Flaherty's funeral mass, tribute was paid to the caring husband and father by Fr Brian O Fearraigh. He said Mr O'Flaherty lived for his wife Tracey and son Hamish. "James showered his loving son and wife in hugs and kisses every day," he said. "James O'Flaherty was a generous and a kind man. He loved chatting to other people and he just wanted to spend all his free time with you - his family. "He had honesty and integrity in abundance. "He was a man who had high morals which I'm told are traits and values that he shared with his late father." Hamish described his father as a "great man", who worked "very hard and very long each day". "He wore a jacket with a huge paint stain on the side of it everywhere. He managed this by leaning on a wall which was still wet with paint," he said. "He wore the jacket everywhere. To the shops, to the movies, to the beach." He urged mourners to "cherish" their families. "Be grateful, for they won't be there forever… Use the time you have wisely," he said. A gardai investigation into the circumstances of the deadly explosion continues. A total of six arrests have taken place but no charges have yet been brought against any individual. Earlier this month, at the July Plenary meeting of Donegal County Council, 100% Redress Councillor Tomas Sean Devine submitted a motion calling on Donegal County Council to purchase the site where the explosion by way of negotiation with the owner or with a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO). The motion also asked the Council to sit down with the bereaved families and design a memorial garden in memory of all those affected. However, the motion did not pass and councillors will instead hold a workshop about the future of the site.
Irish Times
3 days ago
- Irish Times
Creeslough: Lawsuits filed by survivors and relatives
Further lawsuits have been filed by survivors and relatives of victims of the Creeslough tragedy in Co Donegal almost three years ago. The cases, which are understood to be mostly personal injury actions, have been brought against the operators of the Applegreen service station and a management company for neighbouring apartments. Donegal County Council, Vivo/Shell Limited, Applegreen Limited, the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities and members of the Lafferty family are among the co-defendants in the recently filed cases. The families of victims Leona Harper (14) and Martina Martin (49) are the plaintiffs. READ MORE [ Creeslough: 'I can't get my head around how a site can be built on when there's a criminal investigation' Opens in new window ] The explosion at the Applegreen service station on October 7th, 2022 claimed the lives of 10 people. The victims of the incident also included James O'Flaherty (48), Jessica Gallagher (24), Martin McGill (49), Catherine O'Donnell (39) and her son James Monaghan (13), Hugh Kelly (59), Robert Garwe (50) and his daughter Shauna Flanagan Garwe (5). A number of other personal injury actions have been initiated over recent months. Photos issued by An Garda Síochána of (top row, left to right): Leona Harper (14), Robert Garwe (50), Shauna Flanagan Garwe (5) Jessica Gallagher (24) and James O'Flaherty (48). Bottom row, left to right: Martina Martin (49), Hugh Kelly (59), Catherine O'Donnell (39) with her son James Monaghan (13), and Martin McGill (49). The 10 victims of explosion at Applegreen service station in Creeslough, Co Donegal, on Friday, October 7th, 2022. Several families who lost loved ones in the explosion have called on the Government to set up a public inquiry into the tragedy. Donegal County Council supported a motion last year seeking the establishment of one. A Garda investigation into the explosion is ongoing. A number of families also wrote to the former minister for justice Helen McEntee asking for an independent investigation to be established. Speaking last year, then tánaiste Micheál Martin said: 'The investigation is not yet complete, there is a Garda investigation outstanding. I think we should await the completion of that in the first instance, and the various health and safety reports and then assess where we need to go forward. It is a terrible tragedy and does need the fullest examination but I would like to see the outcomes of the investigation.'
The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- Business
- The Irish Sun
Major US flagship clothing store to open in Irish city in just weeks as fans say ‘can't wait'
A MAJOR US flagship clothing store is set to open in an Irish city in just weeks - and fans say they "can't wait." Urban Outfitters is officially opening a new shop on Patrick Street in 2 It will be located among a range of other retailers on Patrick Street Credit: Savills 2 Urban outfitters is coming to Cork City Credit: Getty Images The trendy American fashion and lifestyle chain is moving into 101 Patrick Street, the former home of Dorothy Perkins. This will be Urban Outfitters' second store in Ireland, following its long-running location in Dublin's Temple Bar. The new Cork shop comes after a full high-end refurbishment of the four-storey building since it was closed in 2019 - making the move hugely anticipated. Only two of the floors will be open to customers, with retail space expected on the ground and first levels. READ MORE IN MONEY Earlier this year, planning permission for shop front changes and internal upgrades was submitted to Cork City Council ahead of the new store announcement. Drawings show plans for new signage, fitting rooms, stair balustrades and merchandising units. Now operating over 177 stores in the US and 33 in the UK, it first launched in 1970 and originally targeted students with a mix of clothing, music and homeware. MOST READ IN MONEY Its first Irish store opened in Dublin in 2000, and Cork will mark its return to retail expansion in Ireland. Cork's new location will sell a mix of men's and women's Wendy's hilarious dig And shoppers can expect to find brands like Nike, Fila, Adidas and Champion sitting alongside their own-label designs. Urban Outfitters joins a wave of new arrivals on Patrick Street in the past two years - including Mango, Flannels, Dune, Sea Salt Cornwall and The North Face. And the retailer has already started hiring staff for the Cork branch - which you can apply to here. People have taken to One person wrote: 'That is wonderful news. It's great to see the city centre coming back to life after it was badly hit by Covid.' Another said: 'Can't wait, we're gonna have to queue.' FAST FOOD CHAIN Meanwhile, American fast food chain Taco Bell is a hugely popular Mexican style fast-food chain, featuring items like tacos, burritos and the Crunchwrap Supreme. This launch is part of a new partnership between Applegreen and Taco Bell, marking a major move in the chains expansion in Applegreen's Managing Director for the Republic of Ireland, Seamus Stapleton, said the company is delighted to introduce Taco Bell to Irish consumers. He said: 'We are really excited to announce this partnership to launch the iconic Taco Bell brand in Ireland. "This partnership underscores our commitment to bringing world-class roadside hospitality to our customers, offering them greater choice and quality while they travel. "We are constantly investing in our locations, and I'm sure Irish consumers will be very excited at the arrival of Taco Bell.'
ITV News
5 days ago
- Business
- ITV News
Newry sandwich firm's multi-million pound investment creates jobs and upskills workforce
Some 130 jobs are to be created at a sandwich firm in Co Down. Deli Lites is planning a £12.8 million investment to automate the company's production and broaden its product range. The move is being supported by Invest NI's Agri-Food Investment Initiative, while a further £6 million investment by the company is to help upskill the existing workforce and create 130 jobs in Warrenpoint. The new jobs include senior positions such as a new chief commercial officer. Deli Lites was established in 1998 by husband and wife Brian and Jackie Reid and supplies fresh gourmet sandwiches and food-to-go products to convenience stores, supermarkets, major coffee chains and international airlines. Its customers include Applegreen, Costa Coffee, Aer Lingus and American Airlines. Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald hailed the investment. 'The north's food and drink processing sector is a true local success story, with latest statistics showing that it generates £6.5 billion in sales and supports over 25,500 jobs across our towns and countryside,' she said. 'This investment will unlock significant growth opportunities for Deli Lites in this exciting sector. 'Increased capacity and new automated equipment will boost productivity and enable it to expand its fresh and frozen ranges, growing its sales in Britain and Ireland, and open up additional export markets. 'With 78% of our food and drink sold outside the north, this industry showcases the quality, innovation, and global appeal of what we produce right here at home. 'The creation of 130 new jobs in Warrenpoint, which will help leverage almost £10 million in wages and salaries across the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council area by 2027, is also good news as we work to deliver a more regionally balanced economy.' Brian Reid, chief executive at Deli Lites, said: 'Since our beginnings over 30 years ago, we are now an all-Ireland business with export sales growing in international markets. 'We've always been a trailblazer in our sector, shown when we became the first sandwich maker in the UK and Ireland to achieve B Corp certification.' Jackie Reid, co-founder and CSO at Deli Lites, said: 'Bringing even more products to our snacking and convenience range and investing in production and automation will significantly increase our capacity and customer reach. 'We're delighted to be growing our team in Warrenpoint to bring further expertise into the business and help us achieve our vision, to transform how the world experiences food on the move.' Grainne Moody, director of food and drink at Invest NI, said the project builds on its previous support for the firm to develop its product range for the European market. 'Its success has positioned the company to become a key supplier for the global airlines sector,' she said. 'This new project will increase innovation and boost productivity by transforming labour-intensive processes and increasing digitalisation.
