Last month, former Ireland international goalkeeper, Shay Given watched the news every night in disbelief, as Fr John Joe Duffy presided over the funerals of each of the 10 victims of the Creeslough tragedy.
Only a few weeks earlier, in that same St Michael’s church, Fr Duffy had christened Given's nephew, Brián Óg.
The ex-Premier League goalkeeper watched Taoiseach Micheal Martin's address from the small Co Donegal village and recognised the lodges in the background.
Read more: Youngest Creeslough tragedy victim laid to rest with father Robert
He even popped into the shop where, as Amber Barrett described them, '10 beautiful souls' perished so suddenly.
Given, a former Newcastle United and Manchester City player, spoke about the tragic events in Creeslough at the launch of RTE’s upcoming coverage of the Qatar World Cup.
It was when asked about Barrett's World Cup play-off winning goal against Scotland last month and the pride he shared, as a fellow Donegal native, that Given opened up about his connection with the village.
“I saw the interviews afterwards and I watched the game, and my sister lives in Creeslough,” he said.
“I was up there about five weeks ago. Our (sister’s) baby boy got christened in the chapel, with that priest.
“Then a couple of weeks later, the funerals and all, he was the same priest. It was hard-hitting in that sense.
“When Amber scored that goal, not just for Donegal, but for the country, for Creeslough, her grandparents from there, it was a mad story.
“It was a bit of light after a dark few weeks and a dark few years coming up.
“My sister, Michelle, would say the little town is broken.”
Given spoke of his visit to the petrol station shop that took the full force of the explosion last month.
“It was just mad. We were actually in that very shop that went up, because it’s a small town,” he said.
“And there has been a lot of talk about it since that. It could have been us.
“The Taoiseach was there and in the backdrop there were the little lodges where we stayed.
“It was just mad, people in the wrong place at the wrong time. They were dealt such a bad fate that day.”
Milford-born striker Barrett marked her historic Hampden Park goal by taking a knee and pointing to the black armband around her sleeve.
An iconic celebration for an iconic goal.
“It was a special finish with Amber scoring that goal, it was a special goal and it was a goal that boys and girls will remember for a long time,” said Given.
“I look back at Alan McLoughlin’s goal against Northern Ireland that time (in 1993), that’s when I was young.
“Goals like that can inspire people. The girls going to Australia next summer, it will be a special time to watch them play and represent the country at a World Cup.”
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