Ballinlough Stardust victim Kathleen Muldoon is never forgotten, brother tells inquest

Student nurse was 'thoughtful and helpful young woman'

The brother of a young Ballinlough woman who died in the Stardust tragedy has told the State inquest he remembered his sister Kathleen Muldoon as thoughtful and helpful young woman who was dedicated to her family.

Hugh Muldoon told how Kathleen was the eldest of 10 children and was a very mature young woman who was very helpful to her family and always very thoughtful. She got on very well with her parents and helped with her younger brothers and sisters and the chore while also doing her own studies.

His last memory of Kathleen was coming home from Ballinlough Mass with his dad.

"At this stage, she was after getting her own little car," he said. "The morning of finding out, we had no phone at that stage but the gardai from Kells came to our house of a Saturday morning. The Gardai were very helpful and supportive. Kathleen's car was in the car park in Coolock and she could not be found.

"My mother had gone to the local village to do shopping and heard about the terrible fire that morning in Dublin, not realising that her daughter was in the fire. My father's brother John went around the hospitals in Dublin, looking to see was she in hospitals or was she one of the injured. After that Kathleen's remains were confirmed by an uncle of mine, a few days later."

Hugh, whose father, Hugh senior, died in February of this year, recalled that Kathleen's funeral Mass was in Ballinough Church and that he served at the Mass with his brother, and that another brother sang in the choir.

"It is a day we will never forget."

"We received a lot of support from our extended family, friends and neighbours. A lot of people called to our family home in the months afterwards. Two weeks later, we returned to our schools."

"Life very much changed for everyone in our house that day. Going to a disco or a social event, going anywhere indoors was a very nerve wrecking experience for our parents who would be waiting for you to come home in anticipation."

He recalled that they never told their parents about a disco, they would say they were going to a dance and would never mention the word disco. Some members of the family are more comfortable speaking it than others.

"The conversation is tougher for some than others and younger members of our family find it hard to remember."

However, he said Kathleen is never forgotten and is remembered every day.

"In our family, Kathleen is never forgotten. She is remembered every day. Kathleen is remembered on her birthday, on Christmas, on her anniversary.

Weddings are always a hard time when she wasn't there. Funerals, christening, its the missing part that is in people's lives after someone is gone.

Kathleen would have pursued her career in nursing, got married and had her own family. She loved looking after and caring for people., adding that her younger sisters had gone into the same career.

"All we are asking here today is that the truth comes out. it is a long time to have to wait. But hopefully this inquiry will bring it out and hopefully people will be able to let the deceased rest and let the families rest."