Daniel O’Donnell has opened his heart to the people of Creeslough after meeting them for the first time since a huge explosion tore out the heart of the Donegal community.
The singer was invited to perform Friday night at the last novena of masses for the dead in the town’s church of San Michele.
Daniel and his wife Majella came especially for Mass from Branson, Missouri, United States, to commemorate the ten people killed in the tragedy and all those who have died in the town this year.
The entertainer was invited to perform a series of songs during the Mass by his longtime friend, Father John Joe Duffy, the clergyman whose words comforted so many after the Oct. 7 tragedy.
At the end of the mass, Daniele was invited to say a few words and sing a few songs for the congregation.
The clearly emotional star said he just didn’t know how those involved in the tragedy were coping.
But he said that he wanted them to know that many people have them in their prayers around the world.
And he urged them to keep praying that one day they could see these lost loved ones again.
“I have no other words other than to let you know that people all over the world contacted me about you. Places that you wouldn’t even believe I got messages from. That they were thinking and praying for the people here, for the people who lost loved ones and those who were involved and the injured or who were involved in any way in responding to the tragedy. I am only saying what you have been told already but it is important that you know that not alone was Donegal or Ireland holding you up, the whole world was holding you up and is holding you up because prayer doesn’t stop but neither does the pain stop or the memory of the tragedy. It doesn’t stop so I know these people who are praying for you at the time and many of them are still praying,” reports The Mirror
At the conclusion of the novena mass, Father John Joe Duffy lit a total of 31 candles and placed them in front of the altar.
A total of 29 candles went to people from the community who died during the year, including the eight neighbors who died in the tragedy.
The other two were for 14-year-old Leona Harper and 48-year-old James O’Flaherty, who lived on the outskirts of Creeslough but were passing through and were at the Applegreen petrol station when it exploded.
Father Duffy concluded the novena mass by saying that he simply wanted to use the words of young Hamish O’Flaherty, who lost his father James his in tragedy.
Among the 12-year-old’s words repeated by Father John Joe were lines that pleaded with people that life is short.
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