Butterly admits evidence over locking Stardust doors has been 'contradictory'

Eamon Butterly told the inquests: 'I’m not making anything up'

Eamon Butterly told the inquest on Wednesday that the locking and unlocking of exit doors at the nightclub was a joint policy with door staff. Picture: Gareth Chaney/ Collins

The man who managed the Stardust nightclub has told fresh inquests the evidence he has given over the practice of locking doors at the venue has been “contradictory”.

However, he has denied he was “making up” the version of events he has told the court where he has maintained he was told that all the doors were open in the early hours of February 14, 1981, when the devastating fire spread through the north Dublin venue.

Eamon Butterly (78) had previously told the 13-person jury at these inquests for the 48 people who died following the fire that he never saw the doors locked in the Stardust, and he had told his head doorman Tom Kennan that doors “shouldn’t be locked”.

On Wednesday, he told the inquest that the locking and unlocking of exit doors at the nightclub was a joint policy with door staff.

Michael O’Higgins SC, representing some of the families, said Mr Butterly had been asked back in 1981 who made the decision to keep the doors locked as people were getting in for free, to which Mr Butterly said: “I made the decision myself.” 

“You’re owning it 100% there, aren’t you?” asked Mr O’Higgins. “I am, yeah,” replied Mr Butterly.

Mr O’Higgins said that at the original Tribunal of Inquiry in 1981, Mr Butterly had “owned the decision 100%”, and he asked why the witness was now telling the inquest jury the exact opposite.

“I made the decision with Mr Kennan and [deputy head doorman] Mr Doyle,” said Mr Butterly.

Mr O’Higgins asked him if he believed the evidence he had given the tribunal and evidence he had given the inquest was the same, to which Mr Butterly replied: “I’ve given the evidence to the best of my ability.” 

Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane said the evidence heard last week and evidence heard from 1981 was different, and she asked Mr Butterly which evidence he now stood over. “The ones I made here,” replied Mr Butterly.

“In 1981, the decision was made between the three of us, so I went along with Mr Kennan. That’s what I believed last Thursday,” he said, adding: “It is contradictory all right, yeah.” 

He went on to say: “I believed what I said here, and now you’ve shown me what I said in the tribunal, I have to believe that as well.” 

Mr O’Higgins claimed there was a “vagueness” in Mr Butterly’s account of the practices surrounding the locking of the doors, and the practice of draping chains around the doors to give the appearance of being locked. He said this “vagueness” was because Mr Butterly was “making it up”.

“I’m not making anything up,” Mr Butterly replied.

Evidence given by Mr Kennan to the Keane Tribunal in 1981 was put to Mr Butterly regarding what to do about the locked doors if the Stardust was being inspected by an official. Mr Kennan said there was a plan in place to “stall” any inspector while the doors would then be opened.

Mr Butterly said he “didn’t know anything” about this plan, and said he “never concealed anything from the authorities”. His evidence continues on Thursday.