---

‘Unlawful killing’ verdict in Stardust inquests

The Taoiseach Simon Harris has said that the Government will consider “in full” the verdict of the jury in the inquests into the Stardust fire that killed 48 people in 1981.

The jury in the Dublin City Coroner’s Court today (18 April) returned a verdict of unlawful killing for each of the deaths.

The jury also found that the fire started in the hot press in the main bar and was caused by an electrical fault.

Exits

They found that a lack of visibility, a lack of knowledge of the lay-out of the building, toxicity of the smoke and gases, and the heat of the fire all contributed the speed of the spread of the fire.

The failure of the emergency lighting and lack of staff preparedness also contributed to the deaths.

The jury also found that, at the time of the fire, some or all exits were locked, chained or otherwise obstructed.

‘Relentless pursuit of truth’

The new inquests, which followed a long campaign by the victims’ families, began in April last year.

Special legislative arrangements were put in place for the process.

In a statement, the Taoiseach described the Stardust tragedy as “one of the darkest moments in our history”.

He also paid tribute to the families, and their “relentless pursuit of truth and accountability”.