“Aberfan” by Dulahan
Dulahan’s “Aberfan” recounts the tragic coal disaster that took place in the mining village of Aberfan, South Wales. The disaster buried numerous children and their teachers in the Pantglas Junior School and its surroundings.
As is narrated in the song, the disaster took place on the morning of Friday October 21, 1966, when school children were getting ready to commence their lessons. The narrator recounts how the townsfolk had earlier complained about the huge heap of slag, yet not much had been done about it. The collapse resulted in the deaths of over a hundred people.
The song captures the emotions felt by some survivors as they recall hearing a distant roar right before the slurry heap of coal buried them. It also mentions how several parents and miners quickly rushed to dig out survivors and bodies through their tears and fog that had covered the village. The writer goes on to sing about how people vowed never to mine coal in that town. Then he goes on to vividly describes all sides involved in and after the disaster. And this is from the town folk, the schoolchildren, teachers, miners, parents, to the arrival of the queen and the tribunal which attempted to create new laws. His point however is that although the event may be forgotten over the years, the memories still linger, reminding its people of this grievous day.
The Aberfan Disaster
Above a village in Wales named Aberfan, on the side of a mountain, lay a pile of mining waste. It was managed by a semi-governmental organization and had reached 34 meters (111 feet) in height. Eventually it being saturated with rain in 1966 caused it to descend down the mountain at high speeds. Simultaneously some of its waves had reached as high as 9 meters (30 feet) in height. Resultantly 144 people in Aberfan lost their lives. And the saddest part was that the majority of the casualties were school children. At the end of the day, the organization that was responsible was never penalized.
