Stardust inquests: findings and what happened next
The fire at the Stardust nightclub in Artane, Dublin, on 14 February 1981, in which 48 people died.
- Country
- Ireland
- Type
- inquest
- Established
- 25 September 2019
- Report published
- 18 April 2024
Implementation, as of 23 April 2024The State apologised in April 2024. Redress discussions had not taken place at the time of the apology, and later redress steps were not sourced.
What the inquiry found
- The jury returned majority verdicts of unlawful killing for all 48 people who died.1,2
- The jury found that the fire started in the hot press in the main bar and was caused by an electrical fault.1,2,4
- The jury found that at the time of the fire some or all exits were locked, chained or otherwise obstructed, and that the failure of emergency lighting and lack of staff preparedness contributed to the deaths.2
What happened next
- A review by Paul Coffey recommended removing the probable arson finding of the 1982 Keane Tribunal, and RTÉ later reported that this finding was dismissed in 2009.3,4
- Attorney General Séamus Woulfe directed new inquests, concluding that the original inquests showed an "insufficiency of inquiry as to how the deaths occurred".3
- The new inquests began.2
- Taoiseach Simon Harris delivered a State apology in the Dáil, saying "We failed you when you needed us the most", and apologised for families being "wrongly criminalised through the allegation of arson".4
Sources
- RTÉ News, Taoiseach to meet families of Stardust victims tomorrow (19 April 2024)
- Law Society Gazette, 'Unlawful killing' verdict in Stardust inquests (18 April 2024)
- RTÉ News, New inquests to be held for 1981 Stardust fire victims (25 September 2019)
- RTÉ News, 'We failed you when you needed us most' - Taoiseach (23 April 2024)