Pic: Families of those who died in the Stardust tragedy gathered at the Garden of Rememberance before the opening of the inquest (Collins)

By Ryan Dunne

“Even forty years on, I can still clearly see our beautiful Caroline looking peaceful in her coffin wearing a pale blue shroud,” said the sister of Caroline Carey, one of the victims of the Stardust Ballroom blaze who was just 17 when her life was ended.

At today’s sitting of the Coroner’s Court inquest into the fire that killed 48 people at the Stardust Ballroom in Artane on February 14, 1981, Caroline’s sister Maria delivered a heartfelt pen portrait of Caroline, whom she described as a much-loved daughter, sister, auntie, niece, granddaughter and cousin.

“Caroline was a very good-looking girl with a lovely bubbly personality. She was very witty with a very mischievous sense of humour. She had a heart of gold, loved her family and was very popular with her circle of friends,” she said.

She said Caroline was a very talented Irish dancer who competed successfully in many competitions and travelled abroad to dance at festivals with her dance school, before she gave up Irish dancing and took up disco dancing. The Stardust was a very popular venue and Caroline went every weekend.

“Caroline left our house on the night of February 13. She was laughing and in great form and looking forward to a night of dancing and socialising in the Stardust nightclub. That was the last time we saw Caroline alive,” said Maria, adding that Caroline was the only one of her happy group of friends who did not return home that night.

Maria said that in the early hours of February 14, she was woken by a knock on the door and assumed it was Caroline.

“It wasn’t Caroline but her friend to tell us about the fire. The hours that followed brought shock, horror and hysterics, going to every hospital in the city searching for Caroline and leaving her details,” she said.

She told the inquest that eventually a garda called to the house and gave the family the news they had hoped and prayed they would not get – that their much-loved Caroline was dead.

“While watching news reports on TV, we saw Caroline being carried out in the arms of a fireman. He placed her down and tried to resuscitate her, but it was too late,” she said.

“We were lucky, if that’s the correct word to use, in that we could see Caroline, talk to her, kiss her and say goodbye. There wasn’t a mark on her, even her nails were perfect. She looked as though you could call her name and she would wake up.”

Maria said that Caroline died from toxic fumes and did not suffer, as she would have died in seconds. She said that even now, she can clearly see Caroline looking peaceful in her coffin.

Maria went on to say that “a very black cloud” descended on the family home and stayed there for a long time.

“My parents were devastated, and many tears were shed. My Dad tried to console us. He was a man of great faith and told us that Caroline was still with us in spirit, but we didn’t want her in spirit, we wanted her back in our lives,” she said.

“Lying awake at night you would think of her last moments: was she frightened, did she cry, did she think of us, or did she know she was going to die?”

She said that there have been many family events since and Caroline is always remembered and mentioned. She said that there have been many nieces and nephews born into the family since Caroline’s death and most of the girls have Caroline as their middle name, so her name lives on. She also said that three weeks before Caroline’s death, she revealed to the family that she was expecting a baby.

“Forty years ago, teenage pregnancy was a taboo subject. My parents were devastated at the news but put their arms around her and assured her everything would be fine,” said Maria.

“We were a bit like the Snapper family but not quite as mad. Caroline knew that she had the full support and love of her parents and siblings and was looking forward to the birth of her baby, but it was not to be.”

She said that Caroline’s baby would now be forty years of age and could have children of their own.

“The Stardust fire that night cut off two branches from the Carey family tree,” she said.

“I very rarely dream about Caroline but when I do it’s the same dream in which she was injured in the fire and had to go away for treatment. On her return years later, I’m introducing her to all the family she didn’t know. I have aged in my dream, but Caroline is still as she was the night she left home to go to the Stardust. For a split second when I open my eyes, I hope and then realise it’s only a dream and our beautiful, bubbly, witty Caroline is gone and will never come home.”