Stardust inquest hears two waitresses did not notice anything suspicious before fire

The court heard that they 'may well have been the last people in the west alcove that evening' prior to the fire being discovered

Witnesses Paula Foy (left) and Phyllis Cobb also told the fresh inquests into the Stardust fire that they had not received any training of what to do in the event of a fire or any other emergency. Pic Collins Photos

Two waitresses who may have been the last people in an area of the Stardust ballroom where the fire was later discovered have told fresh inquests they didn’t see or hear anything suspicious while they were there.

The fresh inquests for the 48 people who died in the Stardust fire continued Tuesday, with the evidence of these women — just teenagers at the time — and the reading into evidence of statements made by one of the doormen who described a remark made to him of the Stardust being “like Alcatraz” due to the practice of keeping doors locked at certain portions of the night.

Both Phyllis Cobb and Paula Foy took their break after 1am and spent a portion of it in the west alcove of the Stardust, a tiered seating area that was closed off to patrons that night.

They had been working in the Lantern Rooms, an adjoining venue to the Stardust also owned by the Butterly family. Eamon Butterly, due to give evidence at a later date, managed the Stardust premises.

Witnesses have told the inquests of first seeing the fire in this alcove of the venue in and around 1.40am. They have described seeing the fire, initially on a few seats, move to the walls and then progress to the ceiling before panic descended on the venue.

Ms Cobb and Ms Foy, in both their original statements to gardaí at the time of the fire in February 1981 and to the inquests this week, said they only spent around five minutes in this area. They may have stayed longer but they had left their cigarettes back in the Lantern Rooms, and went back there to have a smoke before returning to work.

In her original statement, Ms Foy said they didn’t eat the chips they had been given from the kitchen because “they weren’t nice”.

Simon Mills SC, for the coroner, put it to both witnesses that they “may well have been the last people in the west alcove that evening” prior to the fire being discovered. “Your recollections of what you say may be of assistance to the jury,” he said.

He asked them if they remembered seeing, hearing or smelling anything unusual in the area while they sat there on their break. He particularly asked if they got a smell of paraffin. Both women said they did not.

“Did you see anything to suggest there was a fire?” Mr Mills asked Ms Cobb. She replied she did not.

Des Fahy KC, for some of the families, also asked whether they had seen anyone suspicious in the area at the time, and they said they did not.

Ms Cobb and Ms Foy also told the court that they had not received any training of what to do in the event of a fire or any other emergency. Ms Foy said she had been working around two years at the complex at this point, aged just 17.

Doorman testimony

In the afternoon, testimony previously given to a Tribunal of Inquiry into the Stardust fire was read out to the jury. John Fitzsimons was a doorman at the Stardust, and also worked as a fireman.

In his evidence to the Keane Tribunal, he remarked that another doorman mentioned to him that the “place was like Alcatraz”. This came up during questions related to the practice of doors being locked for portions of an evening.

He also claimed that the head doorman Tom Kennan told him in the early hours following the fire in the nightclub that he had unlocked all the doors and his “conscience was clear”. In a statement, he had said this struck him as strange, as he had never seen Mr Kennan open them.

The inquests continue on Thursday.