Tenants describe the collapse of a building in Dublin city centre that resulted in the deaths of two young girls.
Emergency services rushed to Fenian Street when two three-storey buildings collapsed, resulting in the deaths of Linda Byrne aged eight and Marie Vardy aged nine. The two friends had gone to buy sweets together at the shop which was located on the ground floor of one of the buildings.
The previous night had seen one of the most devastating storms to hit the east coast in years, with flooding in many areas around the south side of Dublin city.
Peter Richardson was at home in the top floor flat of Number 4 Fenian Street when he heard a noise, and managed to escape with with his children through a back window,
I grabbed the two children and I ran down the stairs... I couldn't see where I was going because there was so much dust.
It was after 12 noon that John Hanlon who lived in Number 3 Fenian Street heard noises in the walls, and saw cracks appear. He warned his neighbours in the flats below and also the shopkeeper whose business was on the ground floor of the building, and left to make a phone call to Dublin Corporation,
When I come back it was on the ground.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 12 June 1963.
