A couple who lost their only child in the Stardust disaster on Valentine's Day 1981 say they're hoping that the inquest will be the end of their bid to find answers to what happened on the tragic night.
Caroline McHugh from Artane was 17 when she died in the fire that killed 48 young people in the popular north Dublin nightclub on February 14, 1981. Her parents, Maurice and Phyllis, travelled to the Rotunda Hospital where the inquest is being held to give a pen portrait of their beloved daughter in front of 15 jury members.
Speaking to Dublin Live, Maurice McHugh said that they spent some time on the pen portrait for Caroline but admitted that they feel "a bit apprehensive about the whole thing" because they have had so many knockbacks over the years.
Read more: RTE legend Charlie Bird issues emotional pen portrait of Stardust victim
He said: "We hope that this is the end of it now, of the campaigning. And that at our legal team which are very good and have always helped us and supported us all the way through.
"Only for Phoenix Law and their team we wouldn't be here today." Maurice and Phyllis had travelled to Manchester the day before the fire to attend a family wedding, when they got a phone call from Dublin that there was a fire in the Stardust and that Caroline was missing.
Maurice said: "Phyllis's uncle got the call and we were up at the shopping centre and Phyllis's uncle followed us up there and gave us the bad news that there was a fire in the Stardust and that Caroline was missing. Of course we were devastated then, we left [the wedding] and we got a flight home to Dublin, we had to travel down to Liverpool to get a flight.
"We got back and our family met us there and we went straight down to the morgue."
A chatty and smart teenager, Caroline sang in local choirs and held down two jobs after leaving the prestigious Loreto College on St Stephen's Green.
Maurice said that they feel positive about the outcome going forward today with the pen portrait for Caroline. "We've never been happier about what's happened up to now, and we feel we've been supported by the coroner and our team and our own legal team.
"And we assume all the other legal teams are going to support us. What we need is to get the truth of what really happened that night, and then to get the truth and justice for Caroline."
READ NEXT:
- Mothers of Stardust fire victims describe grief and pain of loss at long-awaited inquest
- Stardust families vow to 'do victims proud' as inquest opens
- Stardust tragedy: Jury to be selected for inquest as relatives of 48 victims to address the hearing
- Brave dad who lost cancer battle to tell his story from beyond the grave
- Paul Mescal's mum Dearbhla gives hopeful health update amid cancer battle
Sign up for the Dublin Live newsletter to get the latest headlines straight to your inbox.
