PrimeTime investigates Stardust Fire
In the early hours of the 14th of February 1981, a fatal fire took place within the Stardust Nightclub, Artane. Some 840 people attended the Valentine's night disco when the blaze broke out, which resulted in the deaths of 48 young people and 214 more injured. The average age of the 48 dead was just 19 years old.
Fire exit 2 was locked. Fire exit 3 was locked. Six other fire exits had chains wrapped around their panic bars. Fire exits 4 and 5 were blocked by various materials, impeding the patrons from escaping. The windows had both steel sheets and bars welded to them. These caused the high number of fatalities. During the Tribunal of Inquiry into the Fire of the Stardust, Justice Ronan Keane stated that the owner of the Stardust had acted with "reckless disregard" for the safety of his patrons. However, the outcome of the report in 1983 stated that the fire was started due to "probable arson". This left the victims and their families with a sense of "criminal wrongdoing" as this cast suspicion upon all in attendance that night. This finding also allowed for the owner of the premises to sue Dublin Corporation for compensation.
The Coffey Report of 2009 found the findings of "probable arson" to be hypothetical and this was subsequently removed from the public record. There now remains an absence of cause of the fire, something which lies heavily upon the victim's families minds and is a continuing source of considerable hurt. In this report a number of points were made which contradict the original Tribunal, such as the location of the fire and evidence not being dealt with correctly or simply ignored in the original inquiry.
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This primetime was 2006 , finally 18 years later justice was served for the Stardust tragedy.
Just about every nightclub in Dublin back then had the fire exits chained, even the school discos would have wire wrapped around their fire exits ,It took the Stardust tragedy to stop this. I really hope the victims get justice .R.I.P all victims of that terrible night.
@patrickdean282
5 жыл бұрын
lucky duck 67 your so right about that I can remember being at a disco once not feeling well and went to go through the fire doors to get air and it was chained
this is one of the most horrific of all disasters in ireland for christ sake these families have suffered enough its time to give these people justice 35 years on and still nothing i remember i was 17 years old when it happened it really is a disgrace these people have been brushed aside almost forgotten i always think of you and not only on valentines day god bless you all i hope you will find peace the 48 should never ever be forgotten
@t2dghealthyresearch952
5 жыл бұрын
elites sacrifice thats why the cover up simple as that
The dignity of Brid McDermott is incredible and I want to hug her and tell her justice will come, I want to do that for all of the people. I hope she's still alive as the new inquests are opened and the truth will out for the families and friends of the 48, and the survivors too who have physical and mental scars and will be haunted by someone else's failings and negligence, someone else who got a huge windfall of compensation and who are acting like grave desecrators. The dignity and patience in the face of stonewalling of those pushing for justice isn't in vain. The truth WILL out. It will. I'm half Irish half Scottish but my second home is Dublin and it happened 9 years before I was born and although I've been burnt I didn't die (obviously) but trust me it is a very, very horrible way to go. At least it's just my legs and arms that got burnt but I can still feel the pain even today (the scars sometimes still hurt) and I can still smell my flesh burning and see the skin peeling off exactly like a kebab, charred and cooked meat hanging down. A fire is a terrible, terrible horror that nobody should have to go through. The pain was so bad that I basically zoned out, it hurt so much I couldn't feel it, I know it's a contradiction in terms but unless you've been cooked alive you can't understand. I actually thought, for a couple of days, that I was dead. 48 people died in the worst way possible in the worst pain possible and many, many more lived through months and probably years of physical and mental agony. Skin grafts are more agonising than the burns and you can't lie still for long, you have to go through intensive physio so your new skin doesn't shrink like clingfilm or tear off, and nothing out there can stop that pain. Nothing. Even years later in the summer I wear long sleeves so nobody sees where the flames got me. I'm sorry for rambling, but yeah I really hope beyond hope that justice comes. I know it will. If the Establishment doesn't provide it the public and independent press and media and campaigners will. All it takes is one person, "if you think one is insignificant you haven't slept in a room with a mosquito" is the saying. You have support across the sea, probably on the IOM too because Stardust was just Summerland in a different place and was just the same fire: greed, negligence, corporate inertia, a new building, chained exits and failed lights. The only real difference is the location. The fire never went out in Summerland, it just took 7 years to move to Dublin and incinerate another 50 people who just wanted to have a good time with their friends and family and mentally and physically scar hundreds more.
the people who put chains on fire escapes should have been locked in jail..especialy the owner ''butterly'' ireland is a corrupt backward shithole...in any other country like the UK France Germany USA this fuck would have bee put behind bars '' for his own safety' but anyhow looking back after so many years all i can say is that this tragedy has made people more aware of the hazards of fire...every building now must have fire escapes and fire escape drills
@longmemory1620
9 жыл бұрын
that cunt eamon dunphy used stardust in an argument on the #vinb programme
Lets remember this was before the smoking ban came in, plus alcohol and other flammable materials..it doesn't matter how the fire started what matters is people couldn't get out!!
these things still happen, which is ridiculous. lessons should have been learned long ago. we have this happen in the states til this day. every place i go, i immediately check the fire escapes. my family thinks i’m paranoid lol but this scared sense into me. there is no such thing as “too careful.”
Justice is coming. The country are behind you now. JFT48.
How sad this is heartbreaking
Watching this in 2023. Any developments yet? I was born in 1961, so the same age as the average clubgoer there. We went to clubs and never thought about the fire-risk. Who did? 1981! Butterley was compensated for losing a club that was a deathtrap, but the real victims were given nothing but obfuscation and excuses - and lies, no doubt. This case is beyond shocking.
Now 40 years on next month
Six years on words fail me
Justice ….
i’m american and obsessed with his case.
Now its 2022 and still no justice. Irish " justice " is a sick joke.
it was valentine’s morning, not night. it was the 13th into the 14th
@madirishgirl76
2 жыл бұрын
Foof y it doesnt matter ppl stil f died
valentines day massacre for the elites
Was set up a claim