Attorney General to grant new inquest into Stardust blaze

Latest: The Attorney General, Seamus Woulfe, has confirmed that a fresh inquest will be held into the 48 deaths at the Stardust fire, Artane on 14 February 1981.

In a major breakthrough for the families of the victims, the potential for fresh inquests opens the possibility for the circumstances of the St Valentine's night tragedy, which claimed the lives of 48 young people, to be re-investigated.

The decision comes after the families of the victims, through their lawyers Phoenix Law, made a formal application for a fresh investigation by way of an inquest in April of this year.

Mr Woulfe has said that fresh Inquests into the Stardust deaths are "advisable".

In a statement, he said this is because he considers that in the original inquests "there was an insufficiency of inquiry as to how the deaths occurred, namely, a failure to sufficiently consider those of the surrounding circumstances that concern the cause or causes of the fire."

Mr Woulfe is satisfied that the holding of fresh inquests is, on balance, in the public interest and in the interests of justice.

Darragh Mackin, of Phoenix Law who acts for the Stardust Truth and Justice Committee said: “The Attorney General has today confirmed that our clients’ application for a fresh inquest has been successful".

"The families of the Stardust victims will hold a press conference tomorrow morning at 11am in Buswells Hotel.

"The families are delighted with today’s decision, however would ask that their privacy is respected tonight."

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Minister Finian McGrath expressed his "absolute delight" that the families of the Stardust victims have been vindicated.

"The decision of Attorney General to allow new inquests is another step on road to truth and justice," he said.

“I warmly welcome the decision and I am delighted for the families who have fought for so long to achieve justice for their loved ones,” he added.

Some 841 people had attended a disco there, of whom 48 died and 214 were injured as a result of the fire. The club was located where Butterly Business Park now lies, opposite Artaine Castle Shopping Centre.

The families have suffered repeated setbacks in their campaign for justice most recently when the Government rejected appeals for a fresh tribunal into what happened.

This story was updated at 9.04pm.

Earlier

- By Digital Desk staff

The families and survivors of the 1981 Stardust fire in Dublin have received confirmation from the Attorney General that he will grant a new inquest into the blaze that killed 48 people.

A statement from the lawyers who act for the Stardust Truth and Justice Committee said: "The Attorney General has today confirmed that our clients’ application for a fresh inquest has been successful."

It added that: "The families are delighted with today’s decision, however would ask that their privacy is respected tonight."

The families of the Stardust victims are due to hold a press conference tomorrow morning at 11am in the Buswells Hotel.

The catastrophic fire which gutted the Stardust nightclub in Artane, north Dublin, on Valentine’s night 1981 saw 48 people lose their lives, with a further 200 injured, in the greatest tragedy of its kind in the history of the State.

The official verdict on the disaster, following a tribunal of inquiry in 1982, was one of arson. However that verdict has since been stricken from the record.

No one has ever been charged or held accountable for the disaster.

More to follow...