A father whose daughter died from injuries she sustained seven years ago when the balcony she was on collapsed in Berkeley, California has paid tribute to her on what would have been her 28th birthday.
Aoife Beary, from south county Dublin died last New Year’s Day as a result of a stroke caused, her parents said, from the multiple injuries she suffered when a fourth-floor balcony collapsed in the K Street Flats she along with several of her friends were staying while working in the US on J-1 visas.
The balcony which collapsed while she and her friends celebrated her 21st birthday resulted in six of her friends being fatally injured a day later on June 16th, 2015.
Those who died in balcony collapse include Lorcán Miller and Eimear Walsh along with Niccolai Schuster, Eoghan Culligan, and cousins Olivia Burke and Ashley Donohoe died in the collapse - all were aged 20 and 21 when they fell 40 feet from the fourth floor apartment. Seven others were injured - some seriously.
Mike Beary, on his official Twitter page said: “Happy 28th birthday Aoife forever in our hearts and never forgotten (filled with) smiling, determination, fun (and) hakunamatata (there are no problems).”
The mother of Ashley Donohoe also said on what would have been her daughter’s birthday last month saying; “Happy Birthday Ashley.
"Hard to believe you would have turned 29 today. All the years we all have missed out on. Love and Miss you with all our hearts. The family chain was broken the day you died and we will never be the same again.
“Our last family photo at Amanda’s graduation six days before you passed. Remember the best thing to hold onto in life is each other.”
Happy 28th birthday Aoife🎉 forever in our hearts and never forgotten #smiling #determination #fun #hakunamatata ❤️❤️❤️💔 pic.twitter.com/rdCTAx4YgL
— mike beary (@95spa) June 15, 2022
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Library Gardens
The apartment complex where the six Irish students died and were injured was sold last Autumn with plans to develop the site for affordable housing.K Street Flats, the 176-unit development was formerly known as Library Gardens.
A public agency called California Community Housing Agency (CalCHA) bought the complex which pledges to provide housing for workers who are often priced out of expensive cities.
Despite her multiple injuries, Ms Beary campaigned alongside Amanda Donhoe’s family to force building companies to release public safety records and report any work-related crimes or settlements to California’s building regulator.
She testified before the California state legislature in 2016 saying: “Now my birthday will always be their anniversary.”
At an emotional hearing in August 2016, Ms Beary told US politicians that,“Some of my injuries will be with me for the rest of my life. We grew up together and now my birthday will always be their anniversary.”
The structure which was found to have defects in the construction of its balcony, which led to the deadly collapse, prompted state regulators to revoke the license of the contractor who built it.
The tragedy also led to new state laws requiring inspections of balconies and expanding access to contractor records and a plaque honouring the six people who died in the collapse now stands in Civic Center Park.
An informal chalk memorial also occupies a patch of the sidewalk outside K Street Flats, and includes the seventh name of Aoife Beary.
Defects
Berkeleyside, a non-profit organisation, which deals with housing in the area, said that defects are still being reported by tenants, which was completed in 2007 and city officials have received complaints about a range of issues with the building, including the partial collapse of bedrooms.
Mr Beary queried the revelation that defects are “still showing up at K-Street Flats.”
After the accident, families of the victims learned that the balcony had been built by a firm that paid out $26.5m in construction defect settlements that were never reported to the state license board.
Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger who represented all of the injured victims and most of the families whose children died in the Berkeley tragedy were not in a position to comment on the sale of the complex.
A long-time tenant, Alex Merenkov, has complained to city officials about a range of issues with the building, including the partial collapse of another renter’s bedroom floor last spring.
“None of us know to what degree this property is going to hold up,” Mr Merenkov said.
A tenant at K Street Flats for more than a decade, Mr Merenkov added he has watched the building deteriorate under several property management companies.
