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A jury has declared that the deaths in the Stardust Fire inquests were unlawful killings for all 48 individuals who lost their lives in the tragic 1981 Dublin nightclub incident.
Some family members reacted to the verdict with applause and tears, while others embraced each other upon hearing ‘unlawful killing’ from the jury foreman.
Upon hearing the jury’s announcement of ‘unlawful killing,’ some individuals hugged each other.
More than 800 people were at the nightclub when a fire broke out, and they had difficulty escaping due to windows and doors being blocked.
An additional 214 people were hurt in the fire and the chaos that followed, and a few individuals who attended the nightclub later took their own lives.
Under the guidance of then-attorney general Seamus Woulfe, these inquests have been the lengthiest in Ireland, having started a year ago.
The jury informed coroner Myra Cullinane on Wednesday that majority verdicts were reached after 11 days of deliberation.
The jury cited factors such as poor visibility due to smoke, lack of knowledge of the building layout, toxic smoke or gases, fire heat, failure of emergency lighting, lack of staff readiness, and rapid fire spread as hindrances to escape.
The jury confirmed that some of the deceased were impeded in their ability to exit due to locked, chained or otherwise obstructed exits.
The jury also confirmed that this was a contributory factor in some of the deaths.
The coroner postponed the delivery of the verdicts until Thursday so that family members could gather at Dublin District Coroner’s Court to hear the outcome.
During a speech in Brussels on Thursday morning, Irish premier Simon Harris stated: ‘I’m extremely aware of the fact that this must be an incredibly difficult and emotional day for all of the families involved, individuals who have sought justice, answers and truth for such a long time.
‘As Taoiseach, I certainly stand ready to interact and engage with those families.’
During Leaders’ Questions in the Irish parliament at noon, Irish deputy premier Micheal Martin and Sinn Fein’s Pearse Doherty expressed their sympathy for the families of those who perished in the Stardust club.
‘As we all know, they have waited four decades for answers about what happened to their loved ones, and they faced numerous obstacles, including those created by this state,’ Mr Doherty said.
Mr Martin remarked: ‘Our thoughts are with the families of those who died in the Stardust tragedy in 1981.’
‘This will be a significant moment for the families and indeed for the entire country because the Stardust tragedy is deeply ingrained in the collective awareness of the Irish people and the determination of the families and their success in obtaining this investigation has been a benefit to all in society.’
Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane praised the ‘persistent and dedicated’ efforts of the families who had campaigned for new investigations.
‘To the families I recognize the deaths of these 48 young people continue to cause ongoing sorrow to those who loved them and it remains the defining loss of their lives,’ she said.
‘However, I hope that family members will have found some comfort in the fact that these new investigations took place, that the details surrounding the deaths were thoroughly examined, that emotional testimony was heard from many of those involved in the events of the night, and, most importantly, that you the families felt fully engaged in proceedings, however challenging it was to hear all of the evidence.
‘The fact that these investigations have taken place at all is largely due to the persistence and dedication of families over the years.
‘And, finally, we remember those 48 young people who lost their lives on that tragic night. It is their lives that we’ve aimed to justify through these investigations.’
Irish premier Simon Harris described the Stardust tragedy as ‘one of the darkest moments in our history’.
‘A heartbreaking tragedy because of the lives that were lost, the families that were changed forever, and the long, drawn-out struggle for justice that followed,’ he said.
In a statement after a jury at inquests into the deaths of the 48 people in the Dublin nightclub disaster in 1981 returned a verdict of unlawful killing, Mr Harris remembered those who lost their lives and paid tribute to their families for pursuing truth and justice ‘to ensure that such a disaster never happens again’.
He said the Irish government will consider the verdict in full, and the recommendations of the jury.
‘I want to acknowledge and thank the coroner, and her team and the jurors,’ he said.
’48 young people never came home that night, but as Taoiseach I want to say this to their families; You never gave up on justice for them, you never let Ireland forget about them. They were never alone, and our country owes you a great debt for that.’
