Stardust Memorial Park 3.08

Stardust Memorial Park, also known as the Stardust Memorial Garden, is a protected memorial park located in Coolock, Dublin built to commemorate the lives of those who died in the Stardust nightclub 1981 fire in Artane, Dublin. The park was officially completed and opened on September 18, 1993, by the then Lord Mayor of Dublin, Tomás MacGiolla. The memorial represents a circular pool with a bronze sculpture of a dancing couple in the middle, and the memorial was designed by the sculptor, Robin Buick. Water is pumped by 48 jets in the illuminated fountain which surrounds the sculpture. The fountain is enclosed by 48 pillars, each pillar representing a person lost in the tragedy. In the memorial park, there is a number of facilities open to the public including a newly renovated playground and a garden terrace. The park comprises 20 acres along the Santry River. The land was originally a 12th-century monastic site.History, and developmentThe cost of the park was in excess of £500,000 Irish pounds and was partly funded by the Irish government. The design was prepared in 1991, and work on site commenced in February 1992 with a combination of contract work, direct labour and a community youth training project which was operating through FÁS, the state agency in charge of assisting citizens seeking employment. The major works were carried out by Dublin Corporation's Parks Department with input from various divisions. The park is enclosed with a mild steel railing on a plinth wall, and the entrances are defined by piers of limestone which are of a similar design to that used in the memorial. 8,050 trees were planted, most of which were 11 years old making them as old as the incident in 1981.