STARDUST SURVIVOR: HE WAS PART OF OUR FAMILY
STARDUST survivor Antoinette Keegan has paid an emotional tribute to Charlie Bird, saying he ‘never forgot’ those impacted by the tragedy. The RTÉ broadcaster was one of the first journalists to report on the blaze in 1981, which claimed the lives of 48 people. Over the next 43 years, Mr Bird kept in close contact with the families affected by the Valentine’s Day disaster in Dublin. ‘He was like part of our family and was there to support us,’ Ms Keegan said on RTÉ’s Today With Claire Byrne show yesterday. ‘After my mother passed away in July 2020 he was one of the first people to ring me to pass on his condolences – he was very close to us all. I’m just devastated.’ Ms Keegan, who lost two sisters and a number of close friends in the fire, said Mr Bird rang her up after he underwent a number of MRI scans. She revealed: ‘I told him: “Charlie, you’ll be OK”… He then texted to say what it was [motor neurone disease].
‘I had to Google it and then I started roaring crying.
‘I rang him and asked if there was anything we could do to help because he was always there to help us. He said: “I don’t think there’s anything [you can do]” and got very upset.’
She added: ‘He has always been there and also travelled to Derry with us to see the families affected by Bloody Sunday. He was a friend of my dad before he passed away at 86 and became very close to my mother.
‘He even read out a pen portrait for one of the victims at the [Stardust] inquest, Robert Hillick from Belfast.’
Last year, Mr Bird used a voice simulator to share reflections on 20-year-old Mr Hillick, as written by the deceased’s brother, Bill. Ms Keegan added that she has also followed and supported the former journalist during his campaigns for various charities.
In 2022, she travelled to Croagh Patrick for the Climb for Charlie fundraiser, which raised more than €3million.
‘When he came down he saw me and gave me a big hug, and thanked me for coming and supporting him,’ she said.
‘He always regarded us as his heroes and we all regarded him as our hero. He always emphasised how we were treated and he was talking the truth. It was very important for us.’