THEY NEVER CAME HOME

St Valentine's Day comes around once a year
All our thoughts turn to love as the time it draws near
Sweethearts and darlings, husbands and wives
Pledge love and devotion for the rest of their lives

As day turns to evening soon night-time does fall
Young people preparing for the Valentine's ball
As the night turns to laughter some families still mourn
The forty-eight children who never came home

Down to the Stardust they all made their way
The bouncers stood back as they lined up to pay
The records were spinning there was dancing as well
Just how the fire started sure no-one can tell

In a matter of seconds confusion did reign
The room was in darkness fire exits were chained
The firefighters wept for they could not hide
Their sorrow and anger for those still inside

Have we forgotten the suffering and pain
The survivors and victims of the fire in Artane
The mothers and fathers forever to mourn
The forty-eight children who never came home

All around the country the bad news it spread
There's a fire in the Stardust ther's forty-eight dead
Hundreds of children lie injured and maimed

Our leaders were shocked grim statements were made
They shed tears in the graveyard as bodies were laid
The injured were forced to wait for six years
It seems like our leaders shed crocodile tears

Thousands paid out in barristers fees
The insurance claim settled on Butterly
It was all of eight years before any help came
To the injured families who suffered the pain

The days turned to weeks and the weeks turned to years
Our laws favour the rich or so it appears
A mother still waits for her kids to come home
Injustice breeds anger and thta's whats been done.


Source; Christy Moore's 'One Voice-my life in song'