A SIGNIFICANT programme of commemorative events has been planned to mark the 100th anniversary of a devastating fire that decimated a County Limerick town.

On the night of September 5, 1926, a tragic fire at a former town hall in Dromcollogher, repurposed temporarily as a cinema, wiped out a full tenth of the town.

48 people were killed in the Dromcollogher cinema fire, referred to locals over many generations as ‘The Burning’.

The fire started when a candle in the loft of the building, where cinema-goers had flocked to see a film called The Decoy, ignited a highly flammable film reel, with the blaze quickly spreading and trapping attendees inside as others scrambled to flee through makeshift exits.

This September, 100 years later, a programme of events have been planned to mark the traumatic event for the town.

Events throughout the month of commemorations include a State-led ceremony in the town to honour the 48 victims and acknowledge the enduring impact of the tragedy, set to take place on September 5.

The National Archives of Ireland will present an exhibition around funds collected across the region to aid the victims and their families, including community records, correspondences and letters of sympathy, photographs, and newspaper cuttings.

A commemorative postage stamp will be issued on September 3, featuring an image of a funeral procession through the town.

A permanent archive will be released by the Limerick Libraries, containing historical and archival records of the event, including archival records, historical essays, local studies, and local and national news coverage.

Other events will include community and creative commemorations through art, music, song, and written/spoken word, a series of public talks and art installations, the planning of 48 oak trees in a ‘Grove of Remembrance’, and a theatrical production of The Bell Ringer by Charlie McCarthy, exploring themes of grief, memory, and remembrance.

The commemorations are being made possible through the strong campaigning work of the Dromcollogher 26 group over the past number of years, in collaboration with Limerick City and County Council, the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport, the Office of Public Works, and the National Archives of Ireland.

Gerry Keyes, chairman of the Dromcollogher 26 group, said the commemorations “will be a fitting and respectful tribute to the 48 people who lost their lives here and to all the families whose lives were impacted”.

“This honour to the memory of the people who were lost also serves to recognise the historical importance of this tragedy and will help ensure that this event of local and national significance is not forgotten.”

County Limerick TD and Culture, Communications, and Sport Minister Patrick O’Donovan added: “The people of Dromcollogher have never forgotten the tragic events of 100 years ago. In that fire, people lost parents, children, siblings, friends, neighbours.”

“A full tenth of the town was wiped out in a single night, and it is my sincere hope that this programme and commemoration will honour both the dead and the survivors in a respectful and meaningful way.”

The post Centenary commemorations planned for Dromcollogher cinema disaster appeared first on Limerick Post.

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