Mary Keegan, (19), from Coolock, was the beloved big sister of 8 siblings. Beautiful inside and out, she adored her family, excelled in academics, pursued a wide range of hobbies, and was a dedicated worker.
Introduction
My name is Damien Keegan. I am the youngest brother to Mary and Martina Keegan who were both killed in the Stardust disaster. I will speak here today on behalf of my sisters, Antoinette, Lorraine, Suzanne and brothers, John, and Neville. I want to give you an insight and portrait of how beautiful, dearly loved and very special are sisters Mary and Martina were to us all. Here I will speak about my oldest sister, Mary Keegan RIP.
Background
Our sisters' names were Mary Teresa Keegan, aged 19, and Martina Elaine Keegan, aged 16. They were both real people, truly loved by their mam Christine Keegan RIP, their dad John Keegan RIP and all of us their brothers and sisters.
Mary was the eldest of eight children, she was born on the 14th of June 1961 in Saint Mary's hospital in Manchester and this year, our sister Mary would have been celebrating her 62nd birthday had she not been killed.
Our sister Mary was really beautiful inside and out, she had the most outstanding looks, a real-life look-a-like of Farrah Fawcett Majors, right down to her hairstyle. She was a loving, caring, compassionate, fun loving, very sociable, but shy at heart, witty, and extremely intelligent sister, we were all blessed to have in our family. We have so many wonderful and beautiful memories of her and simply not enough time to express all here today.
Mary was our eldest sister, she was not only our big sister, but she was also a best friend to us all and would keep our secrets of mischief. She was like a teacher at home also, if we got into difficulties with our homework, she was always so willing to help us and show us the easy solution to getting the answers right.
Although Mary loved each and every one of us, it’s very important for me to say here today that being the youngest brother and baby of the family, born after a ten year gap, Mary and Martina idolised me, as did all of my sisters and brothers, but there was a very special bond between Mary and myself. She really loved me so much and there was never a day that would go by when she was leaving work that she would ever forget to buy me something to bring home to me. It may have been a cake, a bar of chocolate, a magazine, or clothes, but she always had a thought for me with a little treat. I would be sitting on the doorstep in the front garden waiting on her everyday to walk up the path. I did this for months after Mary died. I was only 3 ½ and couldn’t understand why Mary never came home or walked up the path again. As I was very young, I didn’t understand what was going on.
I remember the day of the funerals for Mary and Martina. My mam asked her neighbour across the road to mind me, my sister Suzanne, and my brother Neville. My Mam did this because she said we were too young to go to the funeral. I still recall looking out the window of my neighbour’s house and seeing the funeral cars outside our house. I said to my sister Suzanne and my brother Neville, "Look over at our house, there is a big wedding." I, as a young child, had never seen a funeral, always seeing weddings and we would all run out for the gushy of the money being thrown up in the air. For years later I would ask Mam and Dad "Where is Mary and Martina?", my Mam told me they were working for Holy God up in heaven. I would ask what it was like up there and my Mam told me it was like Butlins, I would reply "When can we go visit them, when will they be coming back?"
As I was getting older our family home was like a hotel for families of deceased victims, calling to speak to my parents, or the media showing up, it was like a studio. I then became aware that Mary and Martina had been killed in the Stardust. It broke my heart, as I believed one day that my sisters would come home, but they never did.
Mary won the overall student of the year Cadbury’s Scholarship on the 15th of March 1977 and was presented with a certificate, £25 (which was a lot of money back then), a box of chocolates and a tour around Cadbury’s Factory in Coolock. Mary loved school, she was a fantastic pupil, every teacher she had over the years extended great credit about her to our parents at all the parent teacher meetings that they would both attend.
Mary sat and completed her intermediate certificate in 1977 and achieved excellent results with six honours and two passes, she further went on to do her leaving certificate in 1979 and once again she gained the best results with all honours. To say she was ecstatic would have been an understatement, everything Mary worked so hard to achieve she got, and she was so looking forward to the rest of her life in such a very positive way. She had great ambitions and wanted so much to get every goal she set her mind on doing to achieve. It was always going to be onwards and upwards for Mary’s every step forward for the rest of her life.
Mary left school and went on to further herself once again, this time she secured a course in typing. Mary always classed this as her first ever job, although it was only to last six weeks. She was delighted that at last not only was she progressing with more achievements to add to her curriculum vitae for employment for her future, but she was also being paid for this and she wanted so much to contribute money to our parents as part of a wage to help the household.
After Mary completed this course, she went on to get a brilliant job in RTV Rentals, Northside Shopping Centre, Coolock. Her job title there was Receptionist-Sales Assistant-Cashier. She started this job on the 2nd of August 1979 and loved her employment and the colleagues she worked with. She continued to work there right up until Friday the 13th - Saturday the 14th February 1981 when she was killed in the Stardust disaster.
Mary had lots of love for life and thinking back, happiness was paramount at the top of her list. Her hobbies included reading, writing, music, cooking, and travelling. She had so many dreams for her future and wanted to fulfil them all in their entirety. While Mary was working in RTV Rentals, every opportunity she got of doing overtime she took for she had one big desire to give extra money to our parents to help them as they had helped her so much to reach her goals for all her achievements, and so she did.
Mary loved travelling and adventures; her first holiday was in 1977. Her class had been picked to travel to France as they were all studying the French language and coincidentally to Mary’s surprise and delight, there was to be another class chosen for this holiday. The class nominated was Mary's younger brother John’s class. They all travelled to France on the Saint Killeen ship and had the best holiday ever.
Almost every long weekend would be special to Mary, Antoinette, Mary Kenny who was also killed in the Stardust and their friend Helen. They would always go on a weekend to Rush, Co Dublin and spend the weekend in a mobile home. They were just having the fun of their life, they had really great times together. They all decided as they were in full time jobs that they would go and save for an overseas holiday.
They travelled from Dublin Airport with Aer Lingus and flew to England in the month of August 1980. They stayed with my mam’s sister Rosaleen and her husband John in their bungalow in Sussex. They had the holiday of a lifetime, they visited lots of places including those of historic heritage. Before
they came home, they went to the joke shops which they had never seen before in Ireland and decided they would bring some souvenirs home to have more laughs with their families. When they arrived home, they all made a decision that they would save up and go on another holiday following the summer of 1981. But this was not to be as Friday the 13th to Saturday the 14th of February 1981 put an end to all their future plans as Mary Keegan our sister, Mary Kenny their best friend and Martina Keegan our sister all died in the Stardust disaster.
Stardust Fire
My dad worked in Cadbury’s on nights as a fitter’s mate. On Friday 13th while my dad was working on his night shift, a colleague came up to him, to tell him about the Stardust going on fire, which he had heard on a news bulletin on the radio. My dad went straight home and as he drove his car into the garden, he noticed the porch light was still on, this rang alarm bells for him. As in our house there was a rule last one in turns off the porch light. My dad went straight up the stairs checked the boy's room where my brother John was there, then into my mam where she was sleeping and woke her and asked her was the girl's home, my mother didn’t know what was going on and ran into their bedroom where there were 3 empty beds.
My mam got dressed and they both went to the Stardust, which I have heard them talk about so much, they couldn't believe what they saw, the Stardust was still on fire. They panicked and were told by the Garda to check all hospitals, which they did and only found my sister Antoinette. They spent all day Saturday and Sunday in the City Morgue and Sunday at 6pm they were handed two plastic bags, one containing Mary’s necklace burned beyond recognition with broken links and the other containing Martina’s rings also burned beyond recognition, the only identification visible was the signet ring which still bore the initials MK and the claddagh ring. This was their worst nightmare, but it was reality. My mother asked could she see her daughters and was told by the Garda the coffin is closed, to just remember them the way they were.
Since then
After the Stardust, our house was never the same again. There was nothing but arguments, we grew up never known sadness, our house was always a very happy home. We were all falling apart, no one there to help us. We depended on our parents to keep us together, but they were falling apart with grief. At night time we would all hear the sounds of our ma and da crying. It was heart breaking for us all.
Growing up as young children to teenagers, we never witnessed our da crying, we always believed our da was the strong man he was but seeing him falling apart and trying to hide his grief was soul destroying for our ma and all of us.
On 21st February 1981, a meeting was organised to be held in the local pub the Black Sheep, all the families of the deceased victims turned up and the parents of the survivors also. A committee was elected called the Stardust Relatives Committee, the formation of this committee was parents and siblings of the deceased victims and also siblings.
While progress was being made, my dad didn't think it was happening soon enough, as years were going by. Then one day, while we were all sitting at home in the sitting room, my da said, "Chrissie I am going to set up a new Committee, I am done with listening to all that is getting said like John you cannot rock the boat, sit still, be quiet and so on," the frustration got to my da. So, he drove to the Camelot Hotel, met the owner Mr. Adam Farrelly and asked could he have a function room for a meeting about Stardust. Mr. Farrelly obliged him free of charge. The meeting took place on the 5th of May 1985 where hundreds turned up; my da was unanimously elected as Chairman for the new committee, this was called the Stardust Victims Committee. It was then, everything started to move.
I commend my dad to this day for everything he done for the deceased and the survivors, he fought it all right up to his dying breath. My mam, then took over the position of chairperson, I say it here today with great pride for such a small, beautiful lady, the strength, courage, and determination she displayed was outstanding. She feared no one, she stood tall for one thing only, this was truth and justice. My Mam was instrumental in getting the Government to do the External Independent Examination in 2008, also the last review with retired Judge Pat Mc Cartan. Then her biggest achievement she was honoured to have been involved, was the launch of the Stardust Truth Postcard campaign, this took place outside Dail Eireann with Lynn Boylan and Enda Fanning, on her daughter Mary’s birthday 14th June 2018. This was to have 48,000 postcards signed by the public to hand deliver to the then Attorney General.
My mam travelled along with Antoinette, Eugene Kelly, and other families North, South, East, and West of Ireland setting up stalls and the people of Ireland came to them, signed the postcards and before they knew it, they had exceeded their time limit which was all thanks to the public for our support. On the 20th of November they hand delivered the 48,000 Truth postcards with great support from Christy Moore, Charlie Bird, Bloody Sunday Families, and the public as hundreds turned out this day. The nation had spoken, and it was clear it was in the public interest to have the inquest re-opened.
Then in February 2020 after the 39th anniversary on St Valentine’s Day my mam took sick. She sadly passed away on the 14th of July 2020, as she lay in her bed dying, she was persistently asking us the one big question which meant so much to her, all she wanted to know was when the inquest is happening. We had to tell my mam a white lie to comfort her while she was dying, we had to say to my mam "it is happening very soon ma".
Conclusion
My mam died without knowing when the inquest was going to happen, it was three weeks after she passed away it was announced. It is heart-breaking that due to the passage of time our ma is not present here today. There is an empty chair where she should be sitting and another chair where Eugene Kelly, brother of the late Robert Kelly should be sitting, after all my Mam and Eugene done to get us to this place today.
Another achievement my ma got was the reopening of the Stardust inquest. We would like to read an extract out here today on behalf of my late ma, it was before she took sick, she put pen to paper, she was determined that she was going to read this out when the day of judgement for Truth and Justice was here. This is what she wrote.
Christine Keegan dated 10th July 2019
As a mother of two very precious daughters, who were struck down in their teenage years and burned to death. I would like to say a few words about the way we have been treated from 1981- 2019.
Stardust Fire
The morning of the 14th of February is a morning I will never forget. I was woken by my husband John to tell me that the Stardust had gone on fire, I checked the girl's bedroom and found their bed’s empty.
I got dressed and went to the stardust with my husband, John, when I got there, I could not believe what I saw, it was like out of a horror film, but this was reality.
There was fire men and ambulance men carrying stretchers with body bags on them, never in my wildest dreams did I think my daughters were among them.
The police told us to check the hospitals, and so we did, we checked Jervis Street, the Mater, the Richmond, the Meath, St. James Hospital and finally Dr. Steevens hospital where we found Antoinette, we were told she was there and passed her bed twice, we could not believe when we saw her, she was not able to breathe, she was on life support machine and a priest had just anointed her, while we were there.
Antoinette was unrecognisable, she could see us, but could not say anything, we assured her she will be ok. When we were leaving the hospital in search for our two other daughters, Mary and Martina, the doctor called myself and my husband John and told us it would be 50/50 if Antoinette would survive as her left lung had collapsed and there was quite a lot of damage on the other one. Although we were delighted to find Antoinette our hopes were dashed with the thoughts of losing her.
We felt relieved we had found Antoinette, we thought Mary and Martina have to be in another hospital. We went on to search St. Vincent’s hospital, which was our last hope, they were not there. We could not find them, so we went to Coolock Garda Station, and we were told to go to Dublin Castle, where we were then told to go to the City Morgue, we spent all Saturday and Sunday there, and at 6pm we were given two little plastic bags. One containing Mary’s necklace, burnt and links broken, beyond recognition. The other bag was Martina’s two rings, also extensively burnt. This was all I had to identify my beautiful daughters. I asked to see my daughters and was told the coffin is closed, remember them the way they were.
We buried Mary and Martina on the 18th of February 1981. The Stardust tore our family apart, it has to be the saddest thing for any parent to have to bury their children, it was the worst day of my life.
After the funeral I had to go home, change from my mourning clothes, and go visit my daughter Antoinette who survived and tell her lies to keep her alive. I had to tell her Mary and Martina were doing great and were asking for her. This we were able to do for 2 weeks, then a priest told her out of no harm, he did not know she was not aware both her sisters had been killed.
Since then
The Stardust Fire took all our happy family days away from us, it took away all our belief in faith and it took away our trust with successive Government's over the years. We felt abandoned and all alone and left like lambs to a slaughter, everything brushed under the carpet, to keep the truth hidden. I would like to ask a question to the Government, the establishment, and its agencies - What did we families of the deceased victims of the Stardust fire ever do on the government, to deserve this ill treatment and constant systematic abuse we have sustained for the past 38 years?
Conclusion
Although my two sisters, Mary and Antoinette, were both born in England, they are both Irish citizens. I have heard Antoinette saying over the years since the Stardust fire that she loves her country but dislikes the successive governments and their establishments since 1981. She quotes "I am ashamed I am an Irish citizen for what they did to our family since the 14th February 1981. I live in hope and pray for this day to come for truth and justice for my two beautiful sisters, Mary and Martine, the other 46 victims, my dad and my mam. They can all then rest in peace"
Unfortunately, my mam didn’t live for this day to come as she sadly passed away on the 14th of July 2020, leaving us all heartbroken. We miss our mam so much, she held us all together through thick and thin, she was the most beautiful mother, we were blessed to have a trojan of a woman for truth
and justice. Although we can never walk our mams walk, or stand in her shoes, we the Keegan family vow we will continue to get the truth and justice in loving memory of our beloved mam and dad as well as our two beautiful sisters, Mary and Martina.
