The Stardust nightclub tragedy which claimed the lives of 48 young people on Valentine’s Day, 1981, left one orphan behind.
Swords native Lisa Lawlor was just 17 months old when her parents Francis and Maureen tragically died in the fire.
Now, on the 40th anniversary, Lisa tells her story of the tragic events of that evening and how they have shaped her life in a new book, ‘Stardust Baby.’
Lisa pictured with her parents Maureen and Francis
The book details how her life was altered by the events that killed her parents, as well as depicting how her extended family “toppled into dysfunction” in the face of the tragedy.
“I had originally tried to write this book ten years ago but for a few different reasons I never got a chance to get it started,” Lisa tells Northside People.
“Last year I thought with the 40th anniversary coming up, now was the time to get it done.
“I finally got around to writing it during lockdown, which was an unusual time to write your first book!
“I found it much easier because there was no where to go or nothing else to do but focus on writing.
“All that I’ve ever wanted was to tell my story and keep the memories of my parents and all the young people who died in the Stardust alive.
“I also wanted to write the book to give a little hope to anyone living through a terrible family tragedy, that life can go on, and happiness is possible.”
Francis and Maureen Lawlor were a young couple very much in love who had been married a few years and were besotted with their baby girl.
Since Lisa’s birth, Francis and Maureen rarely went out at night, but they allowed a friend to persuade them to go for a few drinks at the Stardust, leaving their 17-month-old daughter with a babysitter.
They never came home.
Following the disaster, Lisa’s paternal grandparents stepped in and took care of her.
For the family left behind, the Stardust tragedy and the loss of Francis and Maureen was a trauma that neither they nor their large family was equipped to deal with.
“The whole family needed therapy, but that was not on offer in Ireland in the 1980s,” Lisa says.
“Throughout my childhood my grandparents tried to fill the hole in my life with gifts, but nothing really helped and inevitably resentment started to grow within the extended family.
“My grandfather especially struggled, and he really scared me with years of roaring, shouting and mental abuse.
“I couldn’t wait to move out and get away from him and his moods, which I did at the age of just 17.”
‘Stardust Baby’ is a heart-breaking story, but it is also a story about hope.
“The thing I really wish for this book is that readers come away with a renewed sense of hope,” Lisa says.
“Aside from all the tragedy and pain in the book I think it is also an uplifting story of resilience, love, and determination.
“Despite everything I have always found the strength to carry on, for both my children and myself.”
Lisa has spent most of her adult life as a foster mother and full-time homemaker.
Today, she still lives in north Dublin with her three children and is a full-time mother.
A percentage of the royalties from sales of the book will be donated to the Stardust campaign.
‘Stardust Baby’ is out now and available to purchase online and in all good book stores.