Introduction
Hello, please allow me to introduce my sister Donna. Her name was Donna Mahon.
Background
Donna is not a number. She was a very live and a very lovely person. She was a lovely daughter to Michael and Patsy Mahon, and a loving sister to Theresa, Michael, Derek, Bernie, Leo, Paul, Carol, and David. She was an aunt to Elaine and Pamela as well as being Pamela's godmother. Donna idolised her two nieces.
Donna lived in Edenmore all her life. She made her first holy communion in St Monica’s Church and confirmed there too. We her family believed she would get married there too. Donna Attended St Monica’s and St Eithne’s Girls’ School in Edenmore.
Donna began working in Derek Durken’s local newsagent, quickly becoming the supervisor. Donna loved her life, loved her role in the shop and loved the people.
Donna was loved by her family and throughout the community.
At 17 years of age, Donna has her whole life ahead of her, or so we (her family) thought. Donna was approximately 10 weeks shy of her 18th birthday. Donna and her friends had made plans to go to Santa Ponsa for her 18th birthday. Donna loved Santa Ponsa so much from being there the year before with Mam and Dad. Donna and her friends were all so excited to go away together.
On the 13th of February 1981, I was in my parents’ house. At around 5pm I was sat on the sitting room floor with Donna, teaching her how to play dominos. Dad was sitting on the couch watching us while mam was at work in Cadbury’s. After showing Donna how to play, I began to hear laughter and screams. It was young Michael chasing Donna around the garden, messing with her.
Soon after, Donna came in and told us she needed to get ready to go out with her friends. Donna was going to the "Apartment". Many years prior, I too used to go to the Apartment with my friends. It wasn’t a drinking place, more of a hanging-out place.
Our sister Bernie had plans to go to this dance called the Stardust. Donna was so excited to go to this dance. Donna left the venue called the "Apartment" and got a taxi to the Stardust later that evening.
Stardust Fire
From what we have been told, Donna was no length of time in the Stardust when the fire broke out. Our sister Bernie was carried out unconscious in a critical condition. While Bernie lay in hospital, her beloved sister Donna had died and was buried unknown to her.
Donna’s family and friends were all left traumatised.
It took until the 16th of February for Donna to be identified. The Guards explained to us that the jewellery Donna had worn had melted in the fie. It was not until the Sunday evening that I remembered I gave Donna a bracelet. This bracelet was how she was identified.
Since then
We Donna’s family will never get to see Donna get married in St Monica’s Church, have the babies Donna dreamt about having in her future, have her 18th birthday in Santa Ponsa, look after her nieces and godchild Pamela.
Our whole world was turned upside down and our lives torn apart. Apart from that one unthinkable night on the 14th of February 1981, Donna never went out without letting her family know in advance where she was going; be it work, to mass, the shops or to friends’ houses.
Conclusion
Donna was a great daughter, a loving sister, a loving aunt and Donna was also the best friend one could ever wish for.
Donna was known as the apple of my dad’s eye, as Mam would always say. I could stand up here and talk about how wonderful Donna was and how much she was and still is loved. I could talk about this for ever.
It broke all our hearts so much, especially our Mam and Dad’s, the day Donna died. More than anything, now we Donna’s brothers Michael, Leo, Derek and Paul and we Donna’s sisters Theresa Bernie and Carol want answers. We want closure. Our brother David who sadly passed away, he never got the closure he too so longed for.
The wait for proper inquests has gone on for too long, 41 years. We are all so tired. 48 men and women’s families need answers. Please – please – please, give us the closure we need and deserve. Allow our loved ones to finally be able to rest in peace.
We love you dearly Donna. Rest in Peace
