Memories of Big Events by Ciaran O’Toole
The biggest memory from my own history is, unfortunately, The Stardust. In 1981 I was 12, living in Coolock which unfortunately had a lot of casualties. Thank God none of my older siblings were there that night. My mother woke us up on the Saturday morning and told us what happened of course.
I had my breakfast, rounded up some friends and cycled down to The Stardust. I remember small groups of young men and women gathered around in Coolock looking terrified and some still had black smoke marks on their faces. Some of my friends had siblings that unfortunately died in the fire, so I went to some of the funerals, which were very harrowing. Coolock and surrounding areas to this day have still not gotten over the tragedy.
I also went to the park to see the Pope. My one abiding memory of that was getting a clatter off my mother for falling asleep during the mass. We left Coolock that morning at 5am – so give me a break Ma!
