Stardust 27 years on

Hagar

I'd just like to take a moment to remember the 48 victims of the Stardust fire which took place 27 years ago tonight, Friday 13th Feb 1981 into the morning of Saturday 14th February.

I don't think anyone ever paid a proper penalty for their part in the disaster, but the again it was North County Dublin in the height of the Charlie Haughey era. Justice is often thin on the ground in Ireland.

Christy Moore had a song called "They never came home" which landed him with being charged with contempt of court at the time.

Anyway here's the lyrics of the song.

They never came home wrote:

Now St. Valentine's Day comes around once a year,
our thoughts turn to love as the time it draws near;
when sweethearts and darlings, husbands and wives,
pledge love and devotion for the rest of their lives.

As the day turns to evening soon nightime does fall,
young people get ready for the Valentine's Ball.
As the night rings with laughter some families still mourn
the forty eight children who never came home.

Have we forgotten the suff'ring and pain
of the survivors and the victims of the fire in Artaine;
the mothers & fathers forever to mourn
the forty eight children who never came home.

Well t'was down to the Stardust they all made their way,
the bouncers looked on as they lined up to pay;
The records were spinning there was dancin as well,
just how the fire started sure no one can tell.
In a matter of seconds confusin did rain,
the room was in darkness, fire exits were chained.
The firefighters wept for they could not hide
their sorrow and anger for those left inside

Have we forgotten the suff'ring and pain
of the survivors and the victims of the fire in Artaine
the mothers & fathers forever to mourn
the forty eight children who never came home.

Throughout the city the bad news had spread -
"there's a fire in the Stardust, with forty eight dead.
Hundreds of children are injured and maimed,
and all just because the fire exits were chained".
Our leaders were shocked, grim statements were made
they shed tears by the graves as the bodies were laid.
The injured have waited in vain for four years,
it seems like our leaders shed crocodile tears.

Have we forgotten the suff'ring and pain
of the survivors and the victims of the fire in Artaine
the mothers & fathers forever to mourn
the forty eight children who never came home.

Half a million was paid in solicitors fees
a fortune for the owner and his family;
it's hard to believe that not one penny came
to the working class people who suffered the pain.
The days turned to weeks, and the weeks turned to years -
our laws favour the rich, or so it appears.
A mother still waits for her kids to come home;
injustice breeds anger, that's what's been done.

Let us remember the suff'ring and pain
of the survivors and the victims of the fire in Artaine.
The mothers & fathers forever to mourn
the forty eight children who never came home.

Quality

I went to school with a girl who lost her mother and father that night.

My thoughts are with her and all the rest of those families tomorrow.

Dudess

Her mother and father? Oh Jesus. I know you're around my age, Quality. She was around two at the time was she?

Hagar wrote: »

I don't think anyone ever paid a proper penalty for their part in the disaster, but the again it was North County Dublin in the height of the Charlie Haughey era. Justice is often thin on the ground in Ireland.

Actually, was Artane/Coolock in Haughey's constituency?

Hagar

I'm a bit older than many here ( I got married on the 14th, the next day) and I know some of the people directly concerned in the let's say "the political interaction" surrounding the case so I can't comment further without putting Boards in an awkward position.

RoundyMooney

There was a lady in today's paper, now with children of her own, who was labelled the Stardust Baby at the time, probably the same one you're talking about up there.

Her parents would no doubt be proud of what she has become.

I gather the owners rebuilt the premises, didn't it reopen again recently?

Needless to say, yes or no will do...

Dudess

Holy sh1t on a stick! That's phenomenal...
That was meant for you, admiralofthefleet. Don't know how it ended up above your post.

Cokehead Mother

Fires are kinda sad.

admiralofthefleet

my mother was going that night but was sick after giving birth to me 11 days previously

Quality

RoundyMooney wrote: »

There was a lady in today's paper, now with children of her own, who was labelled the Stardust Baby at the time, probably the same one you're talking about up there.

Her parents would no doubt be proud of what she has become.

I gather the owners rebuilt the premises, didn't it reopen again recently?

Needless to say, yes or no will do...

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/robbed-of-the-parents-she-never-got-to-know-1288385.html


Yep that is her...

Dudess

Aw man, that is so sad.

Poor girl.

Irish-trucker

It was a Terrible tragedy , and really is a Disgrace that proper justice has not been done.
I know for a fact the families will not rest until they have justice.

My mother was at the disco the week before , thanks be to God she did not go the following week .

Remember the Victims and dead of the Stardust

TequilaMockingBird

My thoughts are with the families.

So many years later, and its still such a horror. I remember as a child seeing the TV footage, and thinking it was unbelievable that this could happen.

star-pants

IIRC I remember my dad telling me a guy broke into a car and crashed it into the building and helped some escape (I'm trying to remember if he was a previous car thief or not, as I think he may have got done for stealing the car)
(edit - I hope I amn't recalling it wrong, apologies if I have)

That was a horrible thing to have happened, bless all those lost and the families/friends they left behind.

Hagar

He did get done for stealing the car. It was only a technicality, they had to do it so that the owner would be reimbursed for the loss of his car by the insurance company.

TequilaMockingBird

The dramatisation of it was on RTE a year or so ago. Harrowing beyond belief.

Quality

I had to turn that program off... It was a bit too much for me.. emotionally

watna

Admiralofthefleet... that's pretty scary alright! My mum grew up in Coolock but thank god wasn't there that night or even nearly there that night. She knew a lot of families affected though and one of her ex-boyfriend's was killed. Scary stuff indeed.

Tipsy Mac

Yes a very sad state of affairs, I remember my father saying alot of people at the time were angry with the firemen that they didn't use their vehicles to smash the walls/doors down and if they did use them perhaps more people would have got out. It's particularly sad when theres an element of dodgyness surrounding investigations and the like afterwards.

Trojan911

A horrible night...

Silverfish

sueme wrote: »

The dramatisation of it was on RTE a year or so ago. Harrowing beyond belief.

Heartbreaking.


My parents had told me about it when I was younger, and as a result I always check the location and accessibility of fire exits wherever I am.
They'd been in Stardust shortly before, and when I was old enough myself to go to nightclubs, my dad would always arrive 40 minutes early to pick me up, and wait outside.

And yet, a good few places are still the same as regards fire exits.

artanevilla

Just around the corner, thankfully my parents weren't there. A lot of people in the area were affected. R.I.P and justice for the 48.

gidget

We met the Keegan's on holiday in Spain back in 86. I was only 6 at the time, so I would have just saw them as just another family we linked up with cause we were away as a group at the time. It was only John, Christine and their 2 sons ( one of the sons, was the one who was in the club that night). I only found out who they were a few years ago when my mam pointed them out in a photo from the holiday. She was telling me about Christine telling them all about that night and how it had affected them all.

Have to say, it's disgraceful that 27 years on, the families and people who survived that night are still battling for answers.

orestes

My dad was an ambulanceman when that happened and he was called out to the Stardust that night. He never speaks about it, I only found out he was there when they were re-showing footage of it last year on RTE and I saw him on the tv, when I asked him about it he told me that it was the worst tragedy he ever saw in the job during his 25 years at it, then he just went quiet.

My thoughts go out to the families of the victims and everybody who's life was effected by the tragedy

Wishbone Ash

I remember that saturday morning as if it were yesterday. We used to have a radio on the landing at the top of the stairs. It was a sort of alarm clock. My mother would get up on schooldays and put it on quite loudly and we would gradually get up. Even though it was a Saturday, she put on the news (probably 8am). I thought it was some sort of Civil Defense drill with RTE involved. I couldn't take it in. It's still traumatic.

One of my work colleagues was a bouncer in the Stardust. He was off that night. He is still deeply traumatised by it as he is from the area and knew so many families.

Hagar wrote: »

I'm a bit older than many here ( I got married on the 14th, the next day)

...and they say I'm old around here!

snickerpuss

I live right beside the Stardust Memorial Park. There were very few people at the mass there today, I didn't even know it was on I just happened to see a fire truck outside.

My dad and his brothers used to go there a lot, luckily not on the night in question but they knew a lot of people who went that night.
Very sad that it's all still unresolved.

Glitteronsnow

My Auntie was there that night and left early because she was sick, my Mam lost 6 of her friends that night, she won't really talk about it, she did say she was going to funerals for weeks afterwards and it was the worst time of her life. Very upsetting stuff .

Calibos

I was six at the time and I remember it. Why?? Because that morning was the morning that I in-explicably got up at 6 am, went downstairs, turned on the 2 bar electric heater and started burning newspapers in the middle of the sitting room floor!! Mum wakes up, turns on the radio, hears about the stardust disaster, gets out of bed and comes downstairs to find me burning newspaper in the sitting room!! I can still remember the ranting and raving! Its not like I heard about it on the radio and thats how fire got into my head. The first I heard about it was during mums ranting and raving at me. Strange that it was that day that I nearly set fire to the house. I'm sure mum started to worry that she had a little damien from the omen on her hands. Luckily that was the one and only time I inexplicably did something dangerous.

skywalker

I lost a cousin that night, & another soon after to suicide. I was way too young to know them, but the damage it did to the family isnt hard to see. My dad finds it hard to talk about it, in fact the only time Ive ever really talked about it with him was when that rte program was shown.

Dudess

Calibos wrote: »

I was six at the time and I remember it. Why?? Because that morning was the morning that I in-explicably got up at 6 am, went downstairs, turned on the 2 bar electric heater and started burning newspapers in the middle of the sitting room floor!! Mum wakes up, turns on the radio, hears about the stardust disaster, gets out of bed and comes downstairs to find me burning newspaper in the sitting room!! I can still remember the ranting and raving! Its not like I heard about it on the radio and thats how fire got into my head. The first I heard about it was during mums ranting and raving at me. Strange that it was that day that I nearly set fire to the house. I'm sure mum started to worry that she had a little damien from the omen on her hands. Luckily that was the one and only time I inexplicably did something dangerous.

Weird...

God, these stories from some of you guys are really driving home how much of a nightmare it was. Horrible

Dizzyblonde

I remember it well, a couple of girls I worked with were there that night - they got out ok but lost friends. In the time afterwards there was talk that the emergency exits were chained shut to stop people sneaking in without paying, but I don't know if this is true or not. There's a beautiful memorial stone in Beaumont Hospital that lists the victims - I can't pass it without stopping for a minute.

RIP

phasers

My dad was meant to go to the stardust that night but something stopped him

it's always so strange to think about what would have happened

I would never be born :eek:

my thoughts are with the families

Splinter

my heart and memories go out to them all

Mark

_blank_

Yeah, I'm from the area too, and I won't drink in the Artane House, or whatever they called it. They were going to call it The Silver Swan ffs.

It's a shame that the fúcking cúnts responsible have never faced justice.

Mr Magnolia

Sincere condolences to all touched by the events of that night. I'd echo DesF's centiments.

admiralofthefleet

watna wrote: »

Admiralofthefleet... that's pretty scary alright! My mum grew up in Coolock but thank god wasn't there that night or even nearly there that night. She knew a lot of families affected though and one of her ex-boyfriend's was killed. Scary stuff indeed.

yeah its pretty scary when i think of it, she knew the mc' dermotts, went to school with helen mangan and hung around with donna mann but like many others she doesnt like talking about it

da1&only

Im from the area and just want to offer respects,i didnt know anyone directly as i wasnt even born ,but know some of the families of the victims.

sunnyjim

I can see the former location of the stardust from my bedroom window.

My godmother worked there, that was her only night off in a while. She was lucky. My parents, my dads mates, my mams mates and my aunts and uncles all went there regularly. They skipped it that one night to go elsewhere... Luck.

So many things went wrong that night.

Dublin Fire Brigade had no cutting equipment, the emergency doors were locked, the fire was ignored. Tragedy really.

Dudess

phasers wrote: »

My dad was meant to go to the stardust that night but something stopped him

it's always so strange to think about what would have happened

I would never be born :eek:

God, that kind of stuff really messes with the head...

togster

wasn't even born but RIP everyone and condolonces to all those affected.

steps_3314

Very sad indeed. Thoughts go out to families and all affected.

R.I.P

WindSock

I know it is really horrible and sickening what happened, but I'm sure the people responsible for blocking the fire exits have been going through their own personal hell since. Will it really help the families if they were locked up at this stage?

_blank_

WindSock wrote: »

but I'm sure the people responsible for blocking the fire exits have been going through their own personal hell since.

Doubt it.

WindSock

DesF wrote: »

Doubt it.

Really? I don't know what human being could not feel remorse everytime they here the name mentioned, or even know everyday that they live they had cut short so many lives out of stupidity.

RIP to all the victims and my condolences to anyone that was affected by it.

Craig

Unshelved

I worked briefly for a law firm involved in the Stardust Tribunal. They made a fortune from it in costs, while the families' compensation was shamefully low. If I remember correctly, the only person who ended up going to prison was the father of one of the victims who snapped and attacked one of the owners.

If it happened somewhere like Clontarf or Ranelagh the outcome might have been different. But it happened in Artane, where people were poorer and didn't have the wherewithall and the connections to get justice.

ericdred

1st of all thanks on behalf of all the familes and victims of the stardust for the comments made above.

2ndly

RIP thelma - my sister!!

eric

Loopy

Oh Ive just read this thread - so sad, Im blubbing here in work:(

Run_to_da_hills

This is Christy Moore singing "They Never came home".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZqW-ya8yms


Perhaps one song that has had a great impact on me was the hit "Vienna" from Ultravox It was possibly number one in the Irish charts at that time. Everytime I hear this track it brings me back memories of the Stardust.

shenanigans1982

phasers wrote: »

My dad was meant to go to the stardust that night but something stopped him

it's always so strange to think about what would have happened

I would never be born :eek:

my thoughts are with the families

Same kinda story for me.

My da and uncle were were refused entry on that night. For years my da told me it was because they were not wearing tie's only found out from my uncle recently it was because they were too drunk, he was telling me how lucky they were because they would never have made it out.

Spent too much time in the snooker hall down there growing up without ever really thinking about what happened there.

A-Train

I wasn't born at the time but still hear stories about don't live that far away. The folks use to go but weren't there that night but knew people that were.

Very sad. RIP and justice for the 48.

arybvtcw0eolkf

I remember the night like it was yesterday.

I was babysitting with a girlfriend that night.

We were sitting down listening to the radio (listening to the radio and recording songs from it were big at the time) when news broke that the StarDust was on fire.

The girl's parents were at the fire, but gladly got out unhurt. But we'd a manic night until she found out.

When I visit graves in Balgriffin its really sad to see the graves of some of those who perished.

There's a small memorial down in Beaumont Hospital for the victimes which reads;

'They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them'.

(From the 'Ode of Rememberance).