Introduction
My name is Ciarán David Flood, nephew of David Flood. I am here today to represent Dave on behalf of his late parents, Paddy and Bernie, his brother Pat, and wider extended family.
Background
Dave, the younger of 2 sons, lived with his parents in their family home in Beaumount. Dave was a good-humoured, sociable, and typical 18-year-old. He loved dancing and going to the disco. He was a bit of a rocker, mad into the Rolling Stones. This was reflected in his love for playing the guitar, his sense of style and the Jagger swagger about him. He enjoyed going out for a drink and a game of darts, which he often played with his brother.
Dave worked in O'Neill’s Shoes on Talbot Street. He loved working there and dealing with the customers. He never missed a day of work and would often joke that, if he came into some money, he’d open his own shoe shop. He was in a relationship and, as a young man, he had all of life’s possibilities ahead of him.
The night of the Stardust fire, Dave came home from work, like any other night, and had a shower and something to eat. He had a few drinks with his friends before heading out. My Nanny always said she remembered him saying goodbye as he left.
My Mam and Dad were supposed to be heading to the Stardust too, but they were fortunate enough to have a bit of a falling out that evening, with the result that they didn’t go, in the end.
The Stardust Fire
For the Flood family home in Beaumount, it was like any other Friday until the house phone rang later that night with word that the Stardust was on fire. Panic quickly set in and, naturally, my Grandda and my Da went looking for Dave. Searching desperately, they went to the hospitals to check if Dave had been taken there but they couldn’t find him.
Another phone call came, this time asking for family to come to the mortuary. My Grandda and my Da and Mr Roche from next door went to the morgue. As my Da and Grandda were overcome with grief from the situation, Mr Roche took on the burden of identifying Dave’s body for the family.
Since then
The trauma of Dave’s death left an imprint on his family and those close to him. My Nanny and Grandda lost their youngest son. My Da lost his only brother. It also robbed Dave of the chance to go on to have his own family and experience being a father.
The devastating way in which Dave died had - and still has - an enormous impact on his family. In the years afterwards, Dave’s memory was never far from our minds. Every February, on Dave’s anniversary we went to his graveside and listened to stories about him.
Conclusion
I inherited Dave’s records and, as I listened to them, I wished that I had gotten to know my uncle before his life was cut short. May he rest in peace.
