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Tuesday, 25 Apr 2023
Updated / Tuesday, 25 Apr 2023 16:34
The blaze on 14 February 1981 claimed the lives of 48 young people who
were at the Stardust Ballroom in Artane
By Joan O\u0027Sullivan
By Joan O'Sullivan
The families of the Stardust victims are hoping that the inquest into
the 1981 fire will finally give them the thorough, professional
investigation into the fire that they have been campaigning for, for
decades.
Inquests were held at the time - but they only addressed the medical
causes of the deaths, not their context.
No criminal prosecutions were ever brought against anybody arising from
the fire.
The coroner said she will not be bound by previous findings of past
inquiries
Significantly, the High Court ruled last year that this inquest can
include 'unlawful killing' as a potential verdict.
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Questions
The inquest will attempt to address several outstanding questions
including where and how the fire started?
The 1981 Keane Tribunal found that the blaze had probably been caused
by arson but a later review (The Coffey Inquiry, 2008) said this was
not "justifiable on the evidence".
Similarly, the question of how and why the fire progressed will be
examined - with the coroner saying all of these questions need to be
re-investigated and that she will not be bound by previous findings.
Also under scrutiny are the circumstances leading to the fire or... the
contributory factors.
This will look at things like the design of the building itself,
whether there were any prior inspections or warnings... the management
of the nightclub, whether there was staff training or fire planning.
Families of the victims of the Stardust fire gathered at the Garden of
Remembrance before the opening day of the inquest
The inquest will examine the response within the nightclub when the
fire broke out and that of the emergency services.
It will also seek to ascertain whether the blaze and the deaths of the
48 victims could have been prevented.
Structure
The inquest is expected to be divided into three modules. The first
involving eye-witness testimony -beginning with nightclub staff and
management.
The second will focus on Dublin Fire Brigade’s response and the Garda
investigation, and the third module will feature "expert evidence".
Extensive
This inquest is expected to be the most extensive ever held and could
last up to six months, with around 350 witnesses.
Campaigners are hoping that it will finally provide the answers that
they have spent a lifetime waiting for.
Read more: Victims of 1981 Stardust fire at heart of inquest, says
coroner