'Examiner' at 180 - 1980-1989: The Buttevant rail disaster and Stardust tragedy defined a decade of hardship

Buttevant rail crash happened in August 1980 when the Dublin to Cork train derailed, resulting in 18 deaths and 40 injuries.

At the beginning of the 1980s, it was death that dominated the news. The killing of former Beatle John Lennon, in particular, created shock around the world due to the apparent lack of motive behind his murder.

In August of 1980, the village of Buttevant in Cork witnessed the worst ever rail disaster when the train from Dublin to Cork derailed, resulting in 18 deaths and 40 people injured.