The 48 young people who died in the Stardust fire of 1981 were unlawfully killed, a landmark jury verdict has found amidst emotional scenes at Dublin District Coroner’s Court.
The jury returned its verdicts today after roughly 40 hours of deliberations with the foreman saying it had reached the same verdict into the deaths of each individual.
In their findings, the jury said that the fire in the Stardust began in the hot press in the main bar, due to an electrical fault. They were not able to determine what time the fire started. They said that the polyurethane foam used in the seating and the height of the ceiling in the west alcove of the venue contributed to the spread of fire.
The jury also found that the carpet tiles used on the walls contributed to the spread of the fire, and that at least some of the exit doors were locked, chained or otherwise obstructed at the time of the fire. They said this impeded the ability to access emergency exits and exit through them for those who died.
The toxicity of the smoke, the heat of the fire and the lack of staff preparedness in the club also affected the ability of the deceased to exit the building, the jury found.
The findings mark the culmination of a decades-long journey for families and friends of the 48 people who lost their lives after a fire in the popular north Dublin ballroom in the early hours of February 14, 1981.
The verdicts also come almost a year to the day since the inquests first sat on April 25, 2023.
Some Stardust family members jumped to their feet and clapped at the verdict, while some sat in their seats and were moved to tears.
Read the full report on www.examiner.ie
