Stardust families lose inquiry fight

Grieving families of the Stardust disaster tonight lost their long-running battle for a fresh inquiry into the blaze.

An independent review of circumstances of the fire, which claimed the lives of 48 young people in 1981, has found a new investigation was not in the public interest.

Paul Coffey SC said the Stardust Victims’ Committee had not identified any new evidence capable of establishing the cause of the fire.

Hundreds of revellers were injured in the Valentine’s blaze which broke out in the Stardust nightclub in Artane, north Dublin, in 1981.

For almost 25 years grieving relatives have rejected the findings of an inquiry at the time which recorded the cause as probable arson in an alcove of the nightclub.

Mr Coffey said it could be argued that a further inquiry would at least establish whether the fire began in the west alcove or the roof-space, which relatives claimed.

“However, it seems to me that at a remove of nearly three decades from the date of the fire and in the absence of any identified evidence which can be establish the cause of the fire whatsoever it arose, the public interest would not be served in establishing a further inquiry further for that purpose only,” he said.

Mr Coffey recommended Government considers whether it could correct the public record stating that there is no evidence the fire was stared deliberately and that the cause remains unknown.

He said if this can not be done, there should be a further inquiry for the limited purpose of of establishing the cause of the fire.“

The inquiry should be expressly prohibited from trawling for a hypothetical explanation for the fire,“ he added.