Family attends memorial dedication

THE family of an Irish girl who perished in a fire in Australia two years ago attended a memorial service at the scene this weekend.

Mourners from six countries gathered in a small Australian town on Saturday to dedicate a memorial for 15 backpackers who died in an horrific fire.

Julie O’Keefe, 24, from Limerick, lost her life when flames tore through the Palace Backpackers Hostel in Childers, Queensland, on June 23 2000.

Yesterday, her parents Jack and Eileen, brother David and sister Rachel joined the families of 11 other Childers’ fire victims.

The O’Keefes almost experienced a repeat of Julie’s chilling loss recently. Their second daughter Rachel was holidaying in Bali when a terrorist bomb exploded there on October 12.

On the night of the bombing Rachel, 24, had planned to go Club Sari, which was levelled in the blast that killed 183 people, but she changed her plans at the last minute.

Her parents had to wait 12 hours before they learned of their daughter’s miraculous escape.

Rachel flew from Bali to join her parents in Australia last week.

Robert Paul Long, 38, was sentenced to life in prison earlier this year for arson and murder after being found guilty of starting the blaze.

Long is scheduled to appeal his conviction in the Queensland Court of Appeal on Tuesday in Brisbane.

Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson and Queensland Premier Peter Beattie attended the service.

The dignitaries dedicated a six-metre by three-metre, softly-lit glass wall on top of the refurbished hostel to the memory of the 15 who died.

The wall encases images and mementoes of the victims and their life stories.

“I want you to know your children will not be forgotten,” Mr Beattie told the families during the ceremony.

He said the memorial was also a symbol of renewal for the community of Childers, which has lived with the tragedy for the past two years.

Located 190 miles north of the Queensland state capital of Brisbane, Childers is a popular destination for backpackers hoping to pick up casual work in fruit orchards around the town.

Sydney artist Josonia Palaitis painted a portrait of the victims for the memorial.

“The painting itself is a celebration of the lives of the backpackers: it is a happy painting of backpackers taking a break in the fields from picking fruit,” Palaitis said.