Introduction
It is never easy to capture a loved one's personality with just words. All I can say is, everyone who met him and knew him loved him. He was funny and witty and the life and soul of every party. Everyone loved his company.
Background
Jimmy just loved performing for people and actually won a talent contest for his impression of Elvis; he was so delighted with himself. His big passion when I met him was hurling and I would go along to see him play. He was a very good player who was not afraid of anyone coming at him on the field. He was fierce and brave in play. He also had a great passion for Gaelic football, and he played in the miners. 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. It was never boring with his jokes and pranks.
We were blessed to welcome our beautiful daughter Julieann on 13th 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.
On Julieann’s first birthday Jimmy of course wanted a big tea party for her to show her off and have everyone come to the house to celebrate. We did just that. All our relations and friends crammed into the little house in Donnycarney. It was a day we will always remember as it was the last time we would all spend together.
When everyone left, Jimmy’s two brothers Albert and Errol who lived with us at the time were full of excitement as Erroll had made it to the final of the dance competition in the Stardust. They wanted us to go but we had no babysitter, so the two boys went off to the Stardust full of excitement.
Jimmy’s other brother Pat called in to see us and offered to babysit, so we got ready and decided to surprise the boys and turn up. 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.
Jimmy Buckley – by his brother Errol Buckley
Introduction
My name is Errol Buckley. Jimmy Buckley was my brother. Jimmy 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.
Background
Jimmy would get me to school, bring me to all my matches and after I left school we even worked together in Scotts Foods.
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.
On Friday 13th of February 1981, Jimmy’s daughter Julieann celebrated her first birthday. After having a tea party for her, Jimmy came with me along with my other brother Albert and Jimmy’s wife Christine to support me, as I was dancing in the Valentine’s disco competition in the Stardust.
The competition started at around midnight and then they announced the two winners, one boy, one girl. Jimmy beamed with pride when my name was called out.
As I stood on the stage, he jumped up on to it and hugged me and told me how proud he was of me. Little did I know, they would be the last words I would ever hear from him.
Stardust Fire
Outside the Stardust I was running around for about an hour looking for Albert, Jimmy and Christine. Eventually, I found Albert. We were asking everyone had they seen Jimmy. A few people had said they had seen him and he was gone back in looking for me. After a few hours we gave up, thinking he must have been taken off injured and was probably in one of the hospitals.
Later that morning, the rest of my brothers and sisters met in our house and we split up to go looking in all the hospitals. By Saturday evening we still hadn’t found Jimmy.
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.
Since then
The days that followed were a haze. Attending the funeral, after the funeral. Guilt was eating away at me. if I hadn’t been dancing that night, Jimmy wouldn’t have been there. Jimmy would never get to see his beautiful daughter grow up. It all got too much for me, and I ran away to England and later on to America. But the nightmares I suffered with stayed with me, no matter where I went.
Albert and my mam campaigned for justice up until their deaths; Albert dying from a massive 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. The stress he felt trying to
get justice for Jimmy and the other 47 victims weighed heavily on him. He died never getting it, like so many others.
Conclusion
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?
In loving memory of my father figure, brother, my hero: Jimmy Buckley
