# stardust

Firefighter tells Stardust inquest he found group of victims 'huddled together' on the dancefloor

‘They were caught out by the speed of events,’ Dermot Dowdall told the inquest.

5.1k

14 hours ago

This week

26th November 2023 - 2nd December 2023

Stardust survivor heard youth claim he knew who started the fire, inquest hears

Mr Keogh said that he tried to open an exit door but failed, and then lay down on the floor beside a girl and put his coat over himself.

7.7k

Thu 7:46 PM

Stardust survivor recalls watching nightclub roof collapse and realising her husband was dead

The jury heard that the couple and their two children were due to move to Kerry the day after the fire.

5.6k

Wed 9:25 PM

Stardust inquest hears how teen was trapped in toilets before being 'surrounded by fire'

David Browne told gardaí at the time he could hear “things crashing on top of us”

4.0k

Wed 7:38 AM

# stardust inquests

Stardust survivor tells inquest friend who perished was not supposed to attend disco that night

Patricia O’Connor said she still hears the cries of people calling for their parents as they tried to escape.

6.4k

Mon 7:17 PM

Last week

19th November 2023 - 2nd December 2023

Stardust deemed 'pretty horrendous' fire risk with 'highly combustible' materials, inquest hears

The inquest heard a new cold room had been installed built with aluminium and polystyrene foam insulation, which was considered ‘highly combustible’.

5.3k

Nov 22nd 2023, 9:34 PM

DJ assistant tells Stardust Inquest fuses up to 60 light boxes would run off four plugboards

The inquest was also told there was never an electrician supervising when the light and sound system was set up on the stage.

9.0k

Nov 21st 2023, 9:49 PM

Last month

November 2023

Stardust: Inquest hears of survivor's 'life changing' injuries from the fire

Jimmy Fitzpatrick spent more than three and a half months in hospital with third degree burns to his body.

5.6k

Nov 17th 2023, 9:59 PM

Stardust ceiling was 'raining flames' causing ashtrays to ignite on tables below

Evidence was given today by three women from Derry who lost their friend in the fatal fire.

4.3k

Nov 16th 2023, 10:40 PM

Stardust witness tells inquest that doorman told him: 'They could not get out, the doors were padlocked'

Michael O’Toole told the jury that he believes that keys that doorman Michael Kavanagh took from his pocket were the keys to the Stardust.

5.4k

Nov 11th 2023, 11:58 AM

Stardust survivor tells inquest fire was a 'monster' that was 'coming after you'

The inquest continues today in the Pillar Room of the Rotunda Hospital.

4.1k

Nov 10th 2023, 7:53 AM

Stardust survivor says husband died in the blaze hours after celebrating daughter's first birthday

Christina Smyth said she last saw her husband sitting at their table minding the coats while she on the dancefloor

7.9k

Nov 7th 2023, 9:58 PM

October

October 2023

Stardust survivor tells inquest that patrons 'were trapped like rats trying to get out'

The inquest will resume on Tuesday, 7 November.

5.3k

Oct 28th 2023, 8:12 AM

Stardust survivor tells inquest of watching a girl burn in the nightclub fire

The jury at the inquest today heard evidence from a number of patrons who attended Stardust on the night of the fire.

8.1k

Oct 26th 2023, 6:49 PM

# Wall of fire

Stardust patron tells inquest what she saw on night of fatal blaze was like 'looking into hell'

Christine Carr told the jury that she saw “a wall of fire” in the club.

5.3k

Oct 25th 2023, 7:00 PM

Stardust patron tells inquest of using his hands and arms to try put flames out

The inquest continues next Tuesday in the Pillar Room of the Rotunda Hospital.

4.5k

Oct 19th 2023, 7:54 PM

Witnesses say they saw exit doors chained and locked in Stardust nightclub on night of fire

A former employee said the doors were always locked with a padlock and chain.

4.2k

Oct 18th 2023, 6:45 PM

Woman tells Stardust inquest she left club after 'piece of ceiling' fell on table on night of fire

The jury at the inquest today heard evidence from a number of patrons who attended Stardust on the night of the fire.

6.7k

Oct 17th 2023, 7:27 PM

Stardust patron saw material like 'melting plastic' coming from ceiling on night of fire, inquest hears

The jury at the inquest today heard evidence from a number of patrons who attended Stardust on the night of the fire.

4.7k

Oct 16th 2023, 6:58 PM

Stardust patron tells inquest he 'always felt it wasn't right' having carpet tiles on walls

The inquest continues next Monday in the Pillar Room of the Rotunda Hospital.

8.4k

Oct 12th 2023, 11:24 PM

'Everything just went quiet': Stardust patron gives emotional evidence about night of fire

The jury in the Dublin District Coroner’s Court today heard evidence from patrons who attended the Stardust on the night of the fire.

6.4k

Oct 11th 2023, 7:15 PM

Eamon Butterly tells Stardust inquest management at the club was not 'up to dealing with fire'

The former Stardust manager agreed with lawyers that the only preparation for the possibility of a fire at the club was that he would “ring the fire brigade”.

14.8k

Updated

Oct 6th 2023, 6:34 PM

# stardust inquests

Former Stardust boss accepts he was told 'in no uncertain terms' not to lock and chain doors

Eamon Butterly also told the inquest that he stands over his company’s malicious damage claim on the fire.

12.4k

Oct 5th 2023, 7:27 PM

Former Stardust manager tells inquest it was 'unsafe' to keep exit doors locked on disco nights

Eamon Butterly said ‘the consequences would be bad’ if the doors were locked during an emergency, but told the inquest that staff ‘would be keeping an eye on the doors’.

5.3k

Oct 4th 2023, 3:02 PM

September

September 2023

Former Stardust manager tells inquest he regrets ‘converting that factory into a nightclub'

Eamon Butterly, in his fifth day as a witness at the inquests into the deaths of those who died in the fire, also denied that he had told ‘lies’ over ‘contradictory’ statements.

10.7k

Sep 28th 2023, 6:38 PM

# stardust inquests

Former Stardust boss 'agreed' with policy to keep exit doors locked for portion of nights

Eamon Butterly told the inquest the policy was the head doorman’s initiative and could not say how much of the policy he was “willing to own”.

8.2k

Sep 27th 2023, 7:45 PM

Former Stardust boss denies telling security guard exit doors were locked years before fire

Eamon Butterly also told the inquest he did not find out what surface spread of flame rating meant before carpet tiles were used on the walls of the nightclub.

7.5k

Sep 26th 2023, 7:59 PM

# EAMON BUTTERLY

Former Stardust boss denies 'throwing doorman under the bus' over locking of exit doors

A large number of eyewitness accounts, some graphic, of people attempting to escape the club during the blaze were put to Mr Butterly.

18.4k

Updated

Sep 22nd 2023, 5:52 PM

# EAMON BUTTERLY

Former Stardust manager gives evidence for the first time at inquests

Eamon Butterly is seen as crucial in determining the events of the night and the circumstances that led to the largest fire disaster in the history of the State.

16.1k

Sep 21st 2023, 6:48 PM

Stardust waitress 'shocked' by statement quoting her saying exit doors were never chained shut

In response to a question from a member of the coroner’s legal team, Cobbe said: “There were always chains and locks on the doors.”

13.0k

Sep 19th 2023, 6:23 PM

Local resident saw Stardust fire almost half an hour before alarm was raised, inquest hears

Noel Scully said at 1.15am he could see an “orange glow” coming from the direction of the club.

8.3k

Sep 15th 2023, 9:54 PM

Former Stardust doorman denies he was ‘put up to’ telling gardaí he had opened the exits

Michael Kavanagh gave evidence for the third day at the inquests.

13.0k

Sep 14th 2023, 7:42 PM

Former Stardust doorman says attempts were made to 'scapegoat' him for doors being locked

Michael Kavanagh also told the inquests today that the practice of locking doors was a “horrible policy”.

7.0k

Sep 13th 2023, 6:32 PM

Stardust inquest hears former doorman said victims couldn't escape because 'doors were chained'

Michael Kavanagh also admitted that he lied when he initially told gardaí that he had opened the doors of the nightclub.

9.6k

Sep 12th 2023, 11:30 PM

First firefighter on scene of Stardust fire had 'never seen anything like it', inquest hears

The inquest heard that only one firefighter initially attended the scene.

8.5k

Sep 6th 2023, 8:18 PM

Doorman admitted front door of Stardust was locked and key removed on night of fatal fire

The inquest into the 1981 fire at the Stardust complex in Artane resumed today following a summer break.

15.8k

Sep 4th 2023, 6:59 PM

This year

2023

Stardust doorman tells inquest he cannot say if doors were unlocked on the night of the fire

Leo Doyle said he had no idea who came up with the idea of draping chains over the club’s doors to give the impression that they were locked.

5.8k

Jul 12th 2023, 7:22 PM

Stardust doorman rejects claim that he blamed patrons for not being able to exit nightclub

John Furley said there was “wholesale panic” inside the nightclub on the night of the fire.

8.3k

Jul 6th 2023, 9:08 PM

Stardust doorman claims witnesses 'wrong' about seeing him kick padlock off exit door

John Furley said he first saw a seat on fire in the nigthclub, followed by a“a wave of smoke” the full width of an alcove coming right across the dancefloor.

10.9k

Jul 5th 2023, 8:45 PM