Stardust

More than four years after the final episode in our series, producers Christine Bohan and Nicky Ryan unpack today's momentous ruling: new inquests returned a verdict of unlawful killing for all 48 deaths in the Stardust fire. The jury also, crucially, determined where the fire started.

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Over the years, it seemed as though the Stardust fire slipped from the public's mind. The families and survivors never gave up, but at times it felt like their campaign was going no where - all that changed in September 2019.

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The State promised a swift response in the wake of the Stardust fire. Within weeks, a tribunal was set up to investigate. However between the tribunal's findings and the 'take it or leave it' offer of compensation, this was just the beginning, rather than the end, of a battle for the families.

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By the time dawn broke on Valentine's Day 1981, the fire at the Stardust disco had been brought under control. For families and friends of people who had been at the disco, however, things were chaotic. It was hard to find what hospitals victims were at, how badly they were hurt, whether they were alive or dead. The massive scale of the disaster was becoming clear.

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Most people didn't even notice the fire at first. They kept dancing. But soon, smoke began to engulf the ballroom, and panic spread. The first thought on most people's minds were: 'Where are my friends, and how are we going to get out of here?'.

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Excitement had been building for the final of the Stardust's dancing competition at the Valentine's disco. No-one going that evening knew how their night would end - or anything about questions raised previously about the club's safety record.

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Dublin in 1981 was a very different place compared with today- and the Stardust nightclub in Artane was the place to go, especially for a generation growing up at a time when the best chance of a decent job lay abroad.

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Stardust is a new original podcast series from TheJournal.ie. Speaking to witness, family members, journalists and more, it delves into one of the worst tragedies in Ireland's history where 48 young people died in a nightclub fire. Coming soon...

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