Gardaí still 'actively pursuing' a review into the deaths of 48 people in Stardust nightclub disaster

Some of the hundreds of people looking to escape found some of the emergency exit doors either blocked or locked.

Gardaí have said they are still “actively pursuing” a review into the deaths of 48 people in the Stardust nightclub in north Dublin, as Saturday marks the 45th anniversary of the tragedy.

In a statement, An Garda Síochána said its Serious Crime Review Team at the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation is continuing its work on the fire almost two years after the review was ordered following inquest verdicts that all of the young people who died were “unlawfully killed”.

It comes as families and survivors prepare to mark the anniversary of the fire which not only claimed the lives of their friends and family, but sparked a decades-long campaign for truth and justice into what had happened culminating in a State apology in 2024.

In the early hours of Saturday, February 14, 1981, a disco dancing competition had come to a close in the popular Artane venue when a small fire was noticed in an unused area of the nightclub. It quickly spread, engulfing the entire venue.

Some of the hundreds of people looking to escape found some of the emergency exit doors either blocked or locked, while subsequent inquiries determined the kind of carpet tiles used on the wall of the Stardust contributed to the rapid spread of fire.

The fire claimed 48 lives. The average age was just 19. Over 200 were injured.

In 2024, following a year-long set of inquest hearings into the fire, a jury returned a verdict of “unlawful killing” for each of those who died.

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.

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.

In the wake of the verdict, then-taoiseach Simon Harris delivered a State apology to the Stardust families and victims and a redress scheme that first offered payments to bereaved families and then to survivors of the fire.

Earlier this week, the second phase of this scheme for survivors was announced by justice minister Jim O’Callaghan with a €20,000 payment for all those who accessed the original compensation tribunal in the mid-80s.

"It is not intended to constitute ‘compensation’ for the injuries and trauma sustained by those who survived the fire, as that was the scope of the original tribunal, but instead, what is proposed is a payment which recognises the delays in providing truth and justice," he said.

However, family representatives hit out at this, with many finding out the make-up of the scheme via the Government’s press release.

“It is with regret that those directly affected by the Stardust fire have had the door shut on them as opposed to constructively engaging to ensure a process that all caters for all,” solicitor Darragh Mackin of Phoenix Law said.

“Anyone who knows the details knows that one size does not fit all. The key to confidence is participation. The lack of participation erodes confidence.” 

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Survivors have described the process as an insult and said they will not accept it, while others have been critical at the length of time being taken by gardaí to review the case.

In their statement, gardaí added that its review team "continues to actively engage directly with families and legal representatives for the families".

A vigil to mark the anniversary is due to take place at the former site of the Stardust at 1pm on Saturday.