Longford link to Stardust tragedy
In the last 43 years The Stardust has become synonymous with a community's fight for justice
Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1981, was a dark day in modern Irish history. In the early hours of the morning emergency services removed the bodies of 48 young people who lost their lives following a fire in The Stardust nightclub Artane, Dublin.
In the 43 years since, The Stardust has become synonymous with a community's fight for justice. A fight to change a narrative casting the young people of the North Dublin suburb as the villains.
Last week an inquest found that all the victims had been unlawfully killed. The majority decision, handed down by a jury of seven women and five men, stated the blaze was caused by an electrical fault in the hot press of the bar.
A previous finding in 1982 had determined the fire was started deliberately, a theory the families never accepted.
That '82 ruling was dismissed in 2009, leading to the latest inquests for the victims, who were aged from 16 to 27 and mostly came from the surrounding north Dublin area.
On the February morning of 1982 consoling family members on the steps of the City Morgue in Store Street was Longford priest Fr Joe Hanlon. Fr Joe's role was preserved in history by chance.
Editor of the Longford News at the time, Derek Cobbe, explained how the picture came about: “Willie Farrell and I went up to Dublin to cover the Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis, on February 14, 1981, as we did most years. The aim was to take lots of photos of attending locals and of course Albert and other politicians on the platform.”
When the news of the catastrophe broke Derek and Willie were aware of just how devastating it was: “When the Ard Fheis was cancelled due to the Stardust tragedy, which was only really developing that morning, Willie and I decided to drive over to the old City Morgue in Store Street before we returned to Longford, to see what was happening there.
“The families were arriving to identify their loved ones in a tent erected in the yard of the Old Morgue and Coroner's court building, in Store Street.”
The Longford News editor said his colleague captured a moment: “Naturally, we kept our distance as there was no real local Longford interest, but Willie in his wisdom, saw a great photo opportunity of two priests standing on the steps of the Morgue, trying to comfort families, both looking tragically and rightfully distressed and dazed.
“When the film was developed, someone mentioned that they may know the older priest in the photo, and within a few minutes we discovered it was Fr Joe Hanlon from Longford, brother of Noel, Oliver,” Derek told.
The Longford priest would provide further comfort to the families: “Fr Joe was the Parish Priest of Bonnybrook, in Artane, Parish. That was the parish where most of the victims came from and he would soon be celebrant for many many funerals. The look on his face says it all.”
Fr Joe was parish priest of Bonnybrook from March 1979 to June 1986. He passed away in June 2010.
His nephew, Patrick Hanlon, added to the story: “I was aware of Fr Joe's role. It came up because the ambulances on the scene at the time were made in the Hanlons Ambulance factory in Longford. I have a couple of those ambulances. One of those ambulances was used in the documentary they made on The Stardust Tragedy,” he told.
“He then went on to serve in the parish of Rathfarnham for the last 20 years of his life. He was a lovely person,” Patrick concluded.
On Tuesday Taoiseach Simon Harris issued a State apology in the Dáíl. Families were invited to attend, and the names of the victims were read out in the Dáil chamber.