Children’s author and comedian David Walliams has sent a special message of support to children in a local national school in Creeslough, Co Donegal, following the explosion in the Applegreen petrol station in the town earlier this month in which ten people died.
Scoil Mhuire, Creeslough, posted a video on Facebook which the Britain’s Got Talent judge had sent to them earlier this week.
In the video message, Mr Walliams said he wanted to make his own small effort to help “cheer up” the children.
“Like everyone else in the world I heard about the tragic accident in the village of Creeslough,” he said. “And I wanted to send all my love to everyone affected by it, particularly you guys at the local school, Scoil Mhuire, and I’m sending some books to the school.
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“I hope they will cheer you up. I want you to know, you’re not alone, you’re in my thoughts the whole time and I’m sending all my love to you. Take care everybody.”
Scoil Mhuire said they were “humbled and honoured” to have received this message of support for their pupils and community from the popular children’s book author.
“Thank you David for the lovely gesture.”
Aine Flanagan, the mother of five year old Shauna Flanagan-Garwe and the wife of fifty-year-old Robert Garwe, who both died in the tragedy, posted a message of thanks to David Walliams following his gesture of support.
“David, thank you. I lost my husband Robert and my beautiful daughter Shauna in the tragedy in Creeslough,” she said. “My nephews and nieces have all read your wonderful book. Pray for our injured.”
Other people who passed away in the explosion include Catherine O’Donnell (39) and her 13-year-old son James Monaghan, James O’Flaherty (48), Jessica Gallagher (24), Hugh Kelly (59), Martin McGill (49), Martina Martin (49) and 14-year-old Leona Harper.
Meanwhile, Walliams is one of the world’s most prolific and successful children’s authors. His books have sold over twenty-six million copies worldwide. He has written ten best-selling children’s books. His first children’s novel The Boy in the Dress was published in 2008.
He has also written three short story collections – The World’s Worst Children, The World’s Worst Children 2, and The World’s Worst Children 3. The 51 year old has also written five children’s picture books.
On Friday, Donegal native Daniel O’Donnell told the Late Late show that he hopes that people impacted by the tragedy in Creeslough, in which ten people died in an explosion on October 7th, can find “some joy in life”.
The country singer told the Late Late show on RTE 1 that he was in O’Hare airport in Chicago when news of the tragedy at the petrol station emerged. He stated that the loss of life was “beyond belief.”
“All I can hope is that somehow these people can get some joy in life. I don’t know how, but I hope that God will grant them the ability to be able to have joy some time because I can’t imagine where they are today or tonight,” he said.
“I watched all the funerals and I know this town. I know Creeslough.”
The sixty-year-old, who was born in the small seaside village of Kincasslagh in the Rosses area of County Donegal, said he was in the petrol station during the summer while on a golfing trip. He filled up his car and bought a few items in the Applegreen station.
“I thought to myself, there were people that did that on that Friday the same as I did. They walked in and you know what happened.”
He told host Ryan Tubridy that he wasn’t sure how the community was going to take a step forward.
“I do not know. All I can say is that I looked at Hamish (O’Flaherty) – the little boy who spoke at his father’s funeral – and I thought of the strength (that he showed) that he and his mother got up and did it.”
He added that locals in Creeslough showed enormous grace and strength during the funerals in the aftermath of the explosion.
“I saw the nicest quote in the media, that ‘Donegal is carrying Creeslough and Ireland is carrying Donegal.’ To have that strength, at that time, I was amazed.”