EMOTIONS ran high in the RTE studio tonight as the heartbroken families’ of the Stardust victims paid a touching tribute to their memory.
Late Late Show host Patrick Kielty read out each name of the 48 young people who lost their lives in the fatal inferno over four decades ago.
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In a poignant interview with Stardust survivor Antoinette Keegan, who lost her sister Mary and Martina in the blaze, and Selina McDermott, who lost her brothers Georgie and William and sister Marcella in the tragedy, Kielty issued his sincere thanks to the families and survivors for “keeping going” as they fought for justice.
He said: “On behalf of everyone here and everyone watching across the country tonight, we’d just like to thank you guys.
“There was no end to your fight for the truth. We also know that there was no end for you and for all the families who have to live with your loss for so many years.
“This has always been about your loved ones and keeping every one of their memories alive and so tonight, we would like to remember every single one of them this evening.”
In a moving moment, Kielty proceeded to read the name off the 48 young people who lost their lives in the blaze that ripped through the nightclub in north Dublin in 1981.
Those sitting in the audience included some families of the Stardust victims, who spent over four decades fighting for justice for their loved ones, survivors of the Valentines Day disco blaze and campaigners who fought alongside others for the verdict of unlawful killing.
Some wiped away tears whilst others shook their heads or bowed in silence as the name of each young person whose life was taken was read out.
Antoinette and Selina held hands and looked down as they wiped tears from their eyes after recalling the night of horror.
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Reading out the final name, Kielty said: “Rest easy and goodnight.”
The audience erupted into applause before standing as Kielty hugged Selina and Antoinette, praising them for their bravery and thanking them for all they have done over the years to fight for justice.
Patrick shook hands with family members left devastated by the nightclub tragedy as Selina and Antoinette held hands and pumped their fists up, cheering for the justice they had fought so hard for.
Earlier this week, following fresh inquests, a jury returned a verdict that the 48 who died in the blaze were unlawfully killed.
The Dublin Coroner’s Court sat for 122 days of evidence which saw the families relive in vivid detail the worst night of their lives.
It comes after a previous finding in 1982 that the fire had been started deliberately.
But on Thursday a majority decision from the jury of seven women and five men found the blaze, which broke out in the early hours of Valentine’s Day 1981, started due to an electrical fault in the hot press of the bar.
The 48 victims of the Stardust nightclub fire
FORTY-eight people lost their lives in the Stardust fire – most were just teenagers.
- Michael Barrett
- Carol Bissett
- Jimmy Buckley
- Paula Byrne
- Caroline Carey
- Johnny Colgan
- Jacqueline Croker
- Liam Dunne
- Michael Farrell
- Michael Ffrench
- David Flood
- Josephine Glen
- Thelma Frazer
- Susan Morgan
- Richard Bennett
- Brian Hobb
- Eugene ‘Hughie’ Hogan
- Michael Griffiths
- Robert ‘Bobby’ Hillick
- Martina Keegan
- Mary Keegan
- Robert Kelly
- Mary Kenny
- Marie Kennedy
- Donna Mahon
- Paula Lewis
- Paul Wade
- Eamonn Loughman
- Sandra Lawless
- Maureen Lawlor
- Francis Lawlor
- Margaret Kiernan
- Helena Mangan
- William ‘Willie’ McDermott
- George McDermott
- Marcella McDermott
- Julie McDonnell
- Teresa McDonnell
- Gerard McGrath
- Caroline McHugh
- James ‘Jim’ Millar
- David Morton
- Kathleen Muldoon
- George O’Connor
- Brendan O’Meara
- John Stout
- Margaret Thornton
- Murtagh ‘Murty’ Kavanagh
Yesterday, families of the dead hailed the heroes who made justice happen following a year in which the cruel brutality of the Stardust disaster was brought to the fore all over again.
But they have said the Government should issue an official state apology, describing it as “the right thing to do”.
Taoiseach Simon Harris looks set to issue a formal state apology next week to the families of victims who died in the Stardust fire tragedy.
And it is understood that survivors of the blaze and relatives of the 48 young people who died will be present in the Dail on Tuesday for the apology.
Fine Gael leader Harris said today that he is “eager to be in a position to apologise” to the families of those killed in the Stardust fire tragedy.
And it has emerged that he will seek to address the Dail on Tuesday in relation to the tragedy.
Taoiseach Mr Harris said he hopes to meet with the families on Saturday.
He said he is “eager to be in a position to apologise to these families”, but wanted to meet them first.
“I have reached out to the families today and I have offered to meet them tomorrow,” he told media while attending an event in Co Carlow on Friday.
“I am very keen to meet with the families and very conscious that these families have felt unheard for decades, and I want to make sure that they know that I’m listening, that I want to hear them and, of course, I want to be in a position as Taoiseach to apologise on behalf of this country, but I think the most appropriate thing to do is to meet with them.”
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