Research

Remarkably, the number of people who died in the Cinema Disaster in Dromcollogher is the same as the number who died in the Stardust Disaster. 48 people lost their young lives on Valentine’s Day in 1981 at the Stardust. 48 people died in the Cinema in Dromcollogher, some of them children as young as 7 and 8 years of age. “So much death in such a small place”. as one resident put it.

The devastation caused by the loss of 48 people in a small rural community is hard to comprehend. Assessing the extent of that devastation may be difficult. “Nobody ever spoke about it” and “It was never discussed” are common responses when lifelong residents of Dromcollogher are asked about the aftermath of The Burning. Families, survivors, most people in Dromcollogher did not discuss it openly, it would seem. Dromcollogher26 have begun to make a study of this aspect of The Burning. Our group will be researching media and official records as well as conducting an extensive programme of conversations with those who have lived longest in Dromcollogher.

There is a one-time opportunity to capture and record peoples’ stories. There is nobody here today who was alive at the time of The Burning. Furthermore the generation who were directly affected are largely gone. The story of The Burning and its impact on people will most likely exist as memories handed down within families from that generation, to the next. These memories need to be captured now. The people entrusted with these memories might not get or take the opportunity to share them with their families. Even if they do, the story may become dispersed beyond the reach of a common understanding. We intend reaching out to our people and take the opportunity to record as much information on The Burning and its aftermath as possible. Informed by our experience, knowledge, and sensitivity in this subject area, we intend to record the story of The Burning and its impact for once and for all. We will protect and preserve it for future generations, publishing in book form at the time of the centenary in September 2026.

Our Research group are also tasked with finding out as much as possible about each individual who died. At the time of the centenary, we want all of the victims to have their story told, each with their own personality, background, and set of relationships. The group will work to locate the family connections of all of the deceased and make sure they have an opportunity to join in the commemoration.

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