THE BROTHER OF Stardust nightclub victim Jimmy Buckley has spoken of guilt “eating away” at him in the wake of his brother’s death and said that he believes the death by heart attack years later of another brother was also caused by the “horrific night” when fire swept through the Dublin nightclub, claiming the lives of 48 people.

Errol Buckley, whose emotional tribute to his brother Jimmy was read out by Errol’s son Lloyd, told the Coroner’s Court today that Jimmy (23) “was more than a brother to me”.

“After my father died when I was 12, my mother moved back home to Offaly and I, not wanting to leave the only home I knew in Dublin, stayed. Jimmy took on my parents’ role,” said Mr Buckley.

“Jimmy was not only a caring and loving brother, he was a very talented singer and entertainer. He even won a talent show in the Stardust a few months before the fire.”

Errol was providing a pen portrait of his late brother as part of the inquest taking place at the Pillar Room in the Rotunda Hospital into the tragedy that occurred at the Stardust Ballroom in Artane in the early hours of 14 February 1981. He said that he was dancing in the Valentine’s disco competition in the Stardust that night, which started around midnight.

When Errol was announced as one of the winners, his brother Jimmy “beamed with pride” and jumped up onto the stage to hug him and tell him how proud he was of him.

“Little did I know, they would be the last words I would ever hear from him,” he said.

Errol said that outside the Stardust club, he was running around for about an hour looking for Jimmy and gave up after a few hours, thinking Jimmy must have been taken to one of the hospitals.

“The next few days were a nightmare, not knowing where he was. Then the guards called to the house and asked us to come to the morgue. Jimmy was eventually identified by his wedding ring,” he said.

“Guilt was eating away at me. If I hadn’t been dancing that night, Jimmy wouldn’t have been there.”

Errol said that his brother Albert and their mother campaigned for justice up until their deaths, with Albert dying from a heart attack at the age of 41.

“The Stardust had claimed another victim as I believe Albert too never really recovered from that horrific night and the loss of Jimmy,” he said.

Errol Buckley concluded by saying: “You might say, it’s been 40 years, just let it go. Well I ask you, if it was your brother, sister, son, daughter, how would you feel?”

A further emotional tribute was given by Jimmy Buckley’s widow, Christina Smyth, who said that everyone who met Jimmy and knew him loved him.

“He was funny and witty and the life and soul of every party. Everyone loved his company,” she said.

She spoke of how he loved performing for people and won a talent contest for his impression of Elvis. She said his big passion was hurling and she would go along to see him play.

“He was fierce and brave in play. He also had a great passion for Gaelic football and he played in the minors. He loved to go to Croke Park on a Sunday to watch the Dubs play.”

“I met this wonderful man when we were teenagers. He was 16 and I was 14. It was love at first sight and we got engaged when I turned 16. I had the honour to marry Jimmy in 1979 and we were so happy. Every day was a laugh living with him.”

Christina said that the couple were blessed to welcome their beautiful daughter Julieann on 13 February 1980.

“That is a day I will never forget, as he was so proud and showing her off to everyone and telling all that she was going to be the image of him with blue eyes and blonde hair. He was correct. She has grown up to be like him. She is witty and funny and loving, and a fantastic parent just like he was.”

She said that on Julieann’s first birthday, Jimmy wanted a big tea party for her to show her off and have everyone come to the house to celebrate, with relations and friends crammed into their little house in Donnycarney.

“It was a day we will always remember as it was the last time we would all spend together,” she said.

Christina said that Jimmy’s brother Errol had made it to the final of the dance competition in the Stardust.

“I never would have thought this was the last time we would be together or that this would be the night that would change all our lives together,” she said.

‘We saw Caroline being carried out in the arms of a fireman’

Also speaking at the sitting was Maria, the sister of Caroline Corey who died in the tragedy at the age of 17.

“Even forty years on, I can still clearly see our beautiful Caroline looking peaceful in her coffin wearing a pale blue shroud,” Maria told the inquest.

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 the 14th, 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 had died.

“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.”

‘Paula was a shining light’

The sister of another victim said that preventing a similar tragedy “would be the greatest gift” to arise from the inquest.

Paula Byrne was only 19 years old when she died in the blaze in 1981.

Paula’s sister, Maria, said that the last thing the family said to Paula before she left on the night was: “Goodbye, have a good night in the Stardust, enjoy the dancing’.”

Delivering a pen portrait of Paula today, Maria said that their mother had been expecting her fifth child and suspected it would be another boy, so she chose the name Paul.

“We all knew she was really hoping for a girl. However, on the arrival of a baby girl, Mam decided there would be no name change and called our new sister Paula,” said Maria.

She said that Paula was “always the peacemaker in our house” for whom “going to bed in an argument was not in her nature”.

“Paula was very much a people person. She loved her friends and family and was loyal and devoted to both. She was a beautiful young lady both inside and out and was a true friend for life,” said Maria.

She said that to sum up her sister’s nature and personality in one word it would most definitely be “kindness”.

“Paula had such a good heart; she was a shining light, always willing to do anything for you.”

She said that the last time the family spoke with Paula on that Friday evening, she had just gotten ready to go to the dancing competition in the Stardust.

“We chatted for a while and as we left with our Mam to do the weekly shopping our last words to Paula were: ‘Goodbye, have a good night in the Stardust, enjoy the dancing’.”

“Later that evening, little did we know that the distant sound of sirens would be the start of a nightmare that we could not awaken from,” said Maria.

“We rushed to the Stardust hoping to find Paula safe and well and bring her home. The devastating vision of the Stardust and the apprehension of what was unfolding in front of us was terrifying.”

She said that up until dawn, the family travelled around the hospitals hoping to find her in one of the casualty departments, while the media were broadcasting “the horrifying reality” of what had happened.

“We arrived back home without Paula. We held on to the hope that Paula would arrive home safely, having stayed in a friend’s house. It was not until the following Friday in the city mortuary that our last shred of hope for Paula abruptly faded away,” she said.

Maria said that the loss of Paula and the impact on their family is impossible to quantify.

“When you witness the spark of life going out of your mother, you hope in time that it will return. It never did,” she said.

Holding back tears, Maria said that the horrifying night of the Stardust is something no one should ever have to experience. Welcoming the Attorney General’s “ethical and brave decision” in the granting of this fresh inquest, she said that “justice will prevail”.

“The dreadful events of what happened in the Stardust that caused such devastation, pain and agony to our family and so many others will finally be uncovered,” she said,

“For our family, nothing can bring Paula back, nothing can erase the loss and pain of the last 40 years. Preventing another Stardust and knowing that no other family would ever have to endure the same trauma would be the greatest gift.”