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{{short description|Nightclub fire in Artane, Dublin}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{use Hiberno-English|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox event
| title                    = Stardust fire
| image                    = Stardust2010.jpg
| caption                  = Butterly Business Park, site of the former Stardust building. Some of the front facade of the original building remains.
| time                     =
| duration                 =
| date                     = {{Start date|1981|2|14|df=y}}
| venue                    = Stardust nightclub
| location                 = [[Artane, Dublin|Artane]], [[Dublin]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]]
| coordinates              = <!-- {{coord|LAT|LON|region:XXXX_type:event|display=inline,title}} -->
| type                     = [[Fire]]
| cause                    = Electrical fault<ref name="bbc_inquest_verdict">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn0rvgg7dlzo|title=Jury delivers unlawful killing verdict in Stardust inquest|last=Moore|first=Aoife|date=18 April 2024|work=[[BBC]] |access-date=18 April 2024|quote=}}</ref>
| participants             =
| outcome                  =
| reported deaths          = 48
| reported injuries        = 214
| reported missing         =
| reported property damage =
| arrests                  =
| suspects                 =
| accused                  =
| convicted                =
| charges                  =
| trial                    =
| verdict                  =
| convictions              =
| sentence                 =
}}
The '''Stardust fire''' was a fatal [[Structure fire|fire]] which took place at the Stardust [[nightclub]] in [[Artane, Dublin|Artane]], [[Dublin]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]], in the early hours of 14 February ([[Valentine's Day]]) 1981. More than 800 people were attending a disco there, of whom 48 died and 214 were injured as a result of the fire; in later years suicides of survivors and family members were also linked to the event. 

The club was located in what was formerly known as Butterly Business Park, now renamed Artane Business Park, opposite [[Artane Castle Shopping Centre]]. The escape of the disco attendees was hampered by chains and padlocks on multiple exits, by barred windows, and further by failure of the lighting system. Attendees at another event in the same building escaped without loss of life. A small part of the building including most of the front elevation remains to this day but the remnants of the nightclub section have since been demolished.

Initially, the cause of the fire was not conclusively determined; an initial determination of arson was later found to have been one of a number of hypotheses, and unproveable. Due to the arson finding, and despite criticism of safety points, the owners of the building claimed and received public compensation, and were not liable to civil action from the families of the deceased, and survivors. No charges were ever brought against any party for the causing of the fire or the loss of life.  After reviews, and years of campaigning, in 2019 it was announced that fresh inquests would take place for the 48 victims, and these commenced in 2023. In 2024 the Dublin District Coroners Court found, in a majority verdict, that all 48 people died as a result of [[unlawful killing]].<ref name="bbc_inquest_verdict"/>

The [[Stardust Memorial Park]] was built in Bonnybrook, Coolock, on the banks of the [[Santry River]], some distance from the site of the disaster, and later a monument was also established at the Stardust site. Multiple documentaries related to the fire have been made.

==The nightclub==
The building which housed the Stardust was built in 1948.  It was initially a food factory, operated by Scott's Foods Ltd. In 1978, the owners of Scott's, the Butterly family, converted the premises into an amenity centre, consisting of a bar, The Silver Swan, a function room, The Lantern Rooms, and a nightclub, The Stardust. The club premises consisted of a dance floor, a stage, two bars and two seating alcoves, the North Alcove and the West Alcove. There were also tables and chairs on the dance floor area. The West Alcove area had enough seats for at least 280 people.

==Fire==
=== Beginning ===
The fire occurred on 14 February 1981 around 1:30{{nbsp}}am, with multiple patrons noticing the fire in different locations and times within the nightclub.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=O'Connor|first=Rachael|date=14 February 2020|title=Stardust tragedy: On this Day in 1981, 48 people lost their lives in a Dublin nightclub fire|url=https://www.irishpost.com/news/stardust-tragedy-day-1981-48-people-lost-lives-dublin-nightclub-fire-179546|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201217184726/https://www.irishpost.com/news/stardust-tragedy-day-1981-48-people-lost-lives-dublin-nightclub-fire-179546|archive-date=17 December 2020|access-date=2020-12-30|website=The Irish Post}}</ref> There were 841 patrons gathered in the nightclub for the St Valentines eve disco event, and the owners had been given a Special Exemption Order to serve alcohol between 11{{nbsp}}pm and 2{{nbsp}}am. In order for the exemption to be given the event was billed as a "dinner dance".<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|last=|first=|date=11 February 2006|title=A grim uncertainty that haunts Stardust families|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/a-grim-uncertainty-that-haunts-stardust-families-1.1014350|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-12-30|newspaper=The Irish Times|language=en}}</ref>

The fire outbreak is believed to have derived from an electrical fault in the room beside the roof space. This non-planning-permission-compliant first-floor storage room contained dangerously flammable materials, including 45{{nbsp}}five-gallon (23 litre) drums of cooking oil. Staff observed a small fire outbreak on a seat in an alcove behind a curtain and they attempted to extinguish it but failed. 

The blaze reportedly originated from the storeroom and spread to the roof. The flames breached the roof tiles, emerging into the nightclub's West Alcove, a banked seating area. The fire descended onto the backrest and the top of a seating bench, which was covered in PVC-coated polyester fabric. The incident was first noticed by a patron seated in front of the West Alcove, who observed a rise in temperature but did not detect any smoke.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://dublingazette.com/dublinlocalmatters/news/stardust-anniversary-23522/ | website = dublingazette.com | title = Stardust victims remembered on anniversary of worst fire in Irish history | date = 14 February 2020 | accessdate = 23 April 2024 }}</ref>

=== Spread ===
The fire then spread to tables and chairs, and patrons noticed smoke and smelled burning. The fire was very small when first seen in the Ballroom. By 1:45{{nbsp}}am,<ref name=":1" /> a ferocious burst of heat and thick black smoke started quickly coming from the ceiling, causing the material in the ceiling to melt and drip on top of patrons and other highly flammable materials, including the seats and carpet tiles on the walls. The fire [[flashover]] enveloped the club and the lights failed. This caused mass panic as patrons began desperately looking for an escape. The DJ, Colm O'Brien, announced that there was a small fire and requested a calm evacuation.<ref name=":0" />

=== Problems escaping ===
The attendees at a [[trade union]] function taking place in the same building escaped, but the escape of the Stardust patrons was hampered by a number of obstructions. Of the five emergency exit doors, most were either locked by padlock or chains or blocked by tables or vehicles outside in order to prevent individuals sneaking in. The windows were sealed with metal grilles and steel plates, which were unable to be removed by [[sledgehammer]]s, axes, and even tow-ropes from individuals outside attempting to help.<ref name=":1" /> Firemen attempted to pull off the metal bars using a chain attached to a [[fire engine]], but were unsuccessful. The failure of the lighting in the club led to widespread panic, causing mass trampling as many of the patrons instinctively ran for the main entrance. Many people mistook the entrance to the men's toilets for the main entrance doors, with responding firemen locating between 25 and 30 of those trapped in the front toilets. A survivor recounted later that in the panic he watched people run in different directions in the pandemonium, and that after evacuating the building he returned and helped others evacuate before tripping and being trampled.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=12 February 2011|title=Why I'm blessed -- by the Stardust victim still suffering 30 years later|url=https://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/why-im-blessed-by-the-stardust-victim-still-suffering-30-years-later-26694703.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923034230/https://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/why-im-blessed-by-the-stardust-victim-still-suffering-30-years-later-26694703.html|archive-date=23 September 2021|access-date=2020-12-31|website=independent|language=en}}</ref>

=== Emergency services ===
The fire was first spotted by numerous people outside the building, including a woman 200 metres away from the Stardust, who quickly called the fire brigade.{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}} Within minutes of her call, two calls were made from inside the Stardust building to inform the fire brigade of a small fire {{Convert | 6 | in | spell = in}} high on a seat in the ballroom in the west section of the building. A young man named Peter O'Toole made a phone call to the [[Gardaí]] at [[Dublin Castle]] at 1:42{{nbsp}}am to report a handbag theft.<ref name="sundayworld">Young, Caoimhe (27 January 2021). [https://www.sundayworld.com/news/irish-news/harrowing-extracts-from-new-book-by-lisa-lawlor-who-lost-her-mum-and-dad-in-tragic-stardust-fire/40018628.html "STARDUST BABY | Harrowing extracts from new book by Lisa Lawlor, who lost her mum and dad in tragic Stardust fire"]. [[Sunday World]].</ref> The call was terminated by O'Toole as the first alarm of fire was given to the people in the foyer. The call was as follows:<ref name="inquiry">[https://archive.org/stream/329996-7964/329996-7964_djvu.txt "Report of the Tribunal of Inquiry on the Fire at the Stardust, Artane, Dublin on the 14th February, 1981"]. The High Court, Dublin. 30 June 1982.</ref>

<blockquote>
Gardaí: Hello, yes, hello. <br/>
O'Toole: I'm at the Stardust disco. Can you hear me? <br/>
Gardaí: Yes. <br/>
O'Toole: And my girlfriend's [[handbag]] was robbed. <br/>
Gardaí: Your girlfriend's handbag was robbed? <br/>
O'Toole: She's the manageress in the shoe shop in [[Northside Shopping Centre]]. <br/>
Gardaí: Wait now would you....Stardust? <br/>
O'Toole: Yes, I'm in the Stardust disco, discothèque, and my girlfriend's bag went missing, someone's after taking it. Can you hear me? <br/>
Gardaí: Yes. <br/>
O'Toole: Can you hear me? <br/>
Gardaí: And where were you... where were... [[Garda Síochána|the guards]], where will you meet the guards? <br/>
O'Toole: Pardon? <br/>
Gardaí: What's your name... what is your name? <br/>
O'Toole: Hello? <br/>
Gardaí: What is your name? <br/>
O'Toole: [''screams in background, caller hung up'']"
</blockquote>Ambulances from Dublin Fire Brigade, the [[HSE National Ambulance Service|Eastern Health Board]], [[Civil Defence Ireland|Dublin Civil Defence]], the [[Irish Red Cross|Red Cross]], the [[Order of Malta Ambulance Corps]], [[St John Ambulance Ireland]] and the [[Airport Police (Ireland)#Airport Fire Rescue Service|Airport Fire Rescue Service]] were dispatched to the scene.The first fire engine responded around 1.51{{nbsp}}am and responders discovered bodies piled on top of each other inside the doors.<ref name=":1" /> Many ambulances left the scene carrying up to 15 casualties. [[Córas Iompair Éireann|CIÉ]] also sent buses to transport the injured, and local radio stations asked people in the vicinity with cars to come to the club. The city's hospitals were overwhelmed by the influx of injured and dying, in particular the [[Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin|Mater]], [[Jervis Street Hospital|Jervis Street]] and [[Dr Steevens' Hospital]]s.

Family members of victims stated there was no organised transport or support shortly after the fire. They were aided by taxi drivers who waived their fares for the families and were met by ill-prepared [[Garda Síochána|Gardaí]] at the city morgue.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|last=O’Doherty|first=Caroline|date=2018-02-12|title=How fire that destroyed the Stardust in 1981 devastated lives for decades|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/commentanalysis/arid-30827585.html|access-date=2020-12-31|website=Irish Examiner|language=en|archive-date=9 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109040634/https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/commentanalysis/arid-30827585.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Victims ==
The fatalities included 48 people in total; 46 in the fire and two later on, with the last recorded death occurring on 11 March 1981, and 214 injured. The ages of those who were killed ranged from 16 to 26, and in 23 cases the deceased were the eldest and sole breadwinner for their families.<ref name=":2" /> Most of the dead came from Artane, Kilmore and greater Coolock, and half of the deceased were aged 18 or younger, with four aged 16 and eight aged 17.<ref name=":1" />

The fire was subsequently linked to the attempted suicides of about 25 people.<ref name=":2" /> The families of the victims and survivors fought in the courts for compensation, accountability, and justice.<ref name=":4">{{cite web |url=http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2006/02/12/story11713.asp |title=The Butterly business|last=Kehoe|first=Ian|date=12 February 2006|work=Sunday Business Post|accessdate=28 November 2013|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090419125801/http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2006/02/12/story11713.asp|archivedate=19 April 2009}}</ref> Victim compensation at the time was a total of £10.4 million paid to 823 individuals; five individuals received £100,000 or more, 24 received slightly more than £50,000 and the majority of individuals received between £5,000 and £10,000. Parents who lost a child in the disaster received a maximum of £7,500.<ref name=":3" />

In 2007, the bodies of five victims who had been unable to be identified were exhumed from a communal plot in [[St. Fintan's Cemetery, Sutton]].<ref>{{cite news|date=25 January 2007|title=Stardust exhumations to go ahead next week|work=RTÉ News|url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0125/stardust.html|access-date=20 March 2009|archive-date=12 September 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070912075829/http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0125/stardust.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The remains were identified with modern [[DNA]] analysis, and then given separate burials.

== Investigation ==
=== Initial inquiry ===
The investigation at the time reported that the fire was [[arson]].  A [[tribunal]] of inquiry under Justice [[Ronan Keane]], which held its first public meeting 12 days after the fire,<ref name=":3" /> concluded in November 1981 that the fire was probably caused by [[arson]]. This finding, which was disputed at the time and since, legally exonerated the Butterlys from responsibility. The finding of arson was dismissed in 2009,<ref name="bbc_inquest_verdict"/> as there was never any evidence to support the finding. Despite making the arson finding, the inquiry was damning in its criticism of the safety standards. Keane criticised the Butterlys and the management of the Stardust for "recklessly dangerous practices" when it was discovered that some emergency exit doors had been locked on the night of the fire; nonetheless, no one was ever prosecuted or successfully sued for these practices.<ref name="Churnain">{{Cite web |url=http://www.rte.ie/tv/scannal/stardust.html |title=Ní Churnáin, Sinead. "Stardust", Scannal, RTÉ Television |website=[[RTÉ.ie]] |access-date=22 August 2015 |archive-date=24 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924170509/http://www.rte.ie/tv/scannal/stardust.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Compensation tribunal ===
In 1986 a separate tribunal, called the Victims Compensation Tribunal, was headed by Judge [[Donal Barrington]], [[solicitor]] Noel Smith and [[barrister]] (now Judge) Hugh O'Flaherty, to focus on monetary compensation for the victims and their families. The three men wrote an opinion after hearing testimony from survivors, victims' family members and friends and coworkers, which called the treatment of the victims after the fire 'neglect' as many had received no medical support.<ref name=":0" />

=== Demand for new investigations ===
In 2009, four relatives of those who had died held a [[sit-in]] in a security hut at [[Government Buildings]]. They were asking the government to publish a report that examined the need to open a new investigation into the disaster.<ref name="irish-times-government-buildings-protest">[http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0115/1231738223916.html Stardust families protest over access to report] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110521214925/http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0115/1231738223916.html |date=21 May 2011 }}, Genevieve Carbery, ''[[The Irish Times]]'', 15 January 2009</ref> Following these protests, the government commissioned an independent examination by [[Paul Coffey (judge)|Paul Coffey]] [[Senior counsel#Ireland|SC]] of the case submitted by the Stardust Victims Committee for a Reopened Inquiry into the Stardust Fire Disaster.

=== Cause unknown ===
Due to the passage of time and lack of physical evidence, the examination's report stated that it would not be in the public interest to reopen the public inquiry, but that the public record should be altered to reflect paragraph 6.167 of the original inquiry- "The cause of fire is not known and may never be known.  There is no evidence of an accidental origin: and equally no evidence that the fire was started deliberately"<ref>{{cite web|title=Report of the Independent Examination by Mr. Paul Coffey SC of the case submitted by the Stardust Victims Committee for a Reopened Inquiry into the Stardust Fire Disaster|url=http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/PB09000021|publisher=[[Department of Justice (Ireland)|Department of Justice]]|access-date=8 February 2009|archive-date=27 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110527150034/http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/PB09000021|url-status=live}}</ref> instead of that of arson (which led to the Butterlys' compensation). Following its publication, the Dáil voted on the evening of 3 February 2009 to acknowledge that the arson finding was hypothetical and that none of those present at the Stardust nightclub can be held responsible for the blaze. This led to a correction of the public record and the original arson conclusion was removed as the cause, due to there being no evidence to suggest that the fire was started maliciously.<ref name="taoiseach.ie">{{cite web|title=Department of Taoiseach|url=http://www.taoiseach.ie/index.asp?locID=609&docID=4210|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717202601/http://www.taoiseach.ie/index.asp?locID=609&docID=4210|archivedate=17 July 2011|accessdate=8 February 2009}}</ref>

=== New inquests ===
In June 2018, a campaign was launched to gather signatures on postcards supporting an appeal to the Attorney General of Ireland to finalise the coroner's reports on the deaths of the 48 killed in the fire. On 25 September 2019, the Attorney General confirmed that fresh inquests would be held into the deaths.<ref>{{cite web|date=25 September 2019|title=Stardust fire: New inquests ordered into 1981 fire that killed 48 young people|url=https://www.thejournal.ie/stardust-inquest-4824935-Sep2019/|accessdate=26 September 2019|work=The Journal|archive-date=26 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190926073738/https://www.thejournal.ie/stardust-inquest-4824935-Sep2019/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The inquests into the 48 deaths began at Dublin District Coroners Court in April 2023. On the first day, there was discussion about the appropriate order in which to call witnesses.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Halpin |first=Hayley |date=2023-04-25 |title='A very important morning': Fresh inquests into 1981 Stardust tragedy begin |language=en |work=TheJournal.ie |url=https://www.thejournal.ie/fresh-inquests-stardust-nightclub-tragedy-begin-6051786-Apr2023/ |access-date=2023-04-25}}</ref>

On 18 April 2024, the jury of the inquest returned a majority verdict of [[unlawful killing]] of all 48 people.<ref name="bbc_inquest_verdict"/><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.rte.ie/news/stardust/2024/0418/1444186-stardust-inquests/|title=Verdicts of unlawful killing returned at Stardust inquests|date=18 April 2024|work=RTE News|accessdate=19 April 2024}}</ref>

===Redress scheme===
On 9 August 2024 the [[Government of Ireland]] signed off on a €24 million redress package for the Stardust families.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Cabinet to sign off on €24m Stardust redress scheme |url=https://www.rte.ie/news/2024/0809/1464238-stardust-redress/ |last=Ó Cionnaith |first=Fiachra |date=2024-08-09 |access-date=2024-08-09 |publisher=[[RTÉ News]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title='New dawn' for Stardust families as Govt signs off on €24m redress scheme |url=https://www.thejournal.ie/stardust-redress-scheme-6459271-Aug2024/ |last=Finn |first=Christina |date=2024-08-09 |access-date=2024-08-09 |work=[[TheJournal.ie]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Stardust: Cabinet meeting to sign off on €24m redress package for families of victims |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/2024/08/09/stardust-cabinet-meeting-to-sign-off-on-24m-redress-package-for-families-of-victims/ |last=McQuinn |first=Cormac |date=2024-08-09 |access-date=2024-08-09 |work=[[The Irish Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Families of Stardust victims to get compensation |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4glz73j9dyo |last=Moore |first=Aoife |date=2024-08-09 |access-date=2024-08-09 |publisher=[[BBC News]]}}</ref>

==Aftermath==
The owners, the Butterly family, pursued a claim for compensation against the city because of the arson finding, and were eventually awarded [[IR£]]580,000.<ref name=":4" />

The aftermath led to a huge number of recommendations being made in relation to [[fire safety]]. Comparisons were made to the [[Summerland disaster]] of 1973 in the [[Isle of Man]] and the lessons learned in that jurisdiction.

=== Memorials ===
On 18 September 1993, the [[Stardust Memorial Park]] in Bonnybrook, Coolock, Dublin was officially opened by then Lord Mayor of Dublin, [[Tomas MacGiolla]]. [[File:Dancing Couple 1.jpg|thumb|right|Dancing Couple memorial in Stardust Memorial Park]]

In 2006, the leaseholder and manager of the Stardust at the time of the fire, Eamon Butterly, planned to re-open licensed premises on the site of the Stardust on the 25th anniversary. Described as "insensitive", this action occasioned protests by the victims' families and their supporters. The protests lasted for 10 weeks and ended when the Butterly family agreed to erect a memorial on the site, and change the name of the pub from "The Silver Swan" to the "Artane House". The name "The Silver Swan" was the name of a pub attached to the nightclub, and so was rejected by the protestors.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/stardust-victims-to-end-protest-at-silver-swan-pub-255594.html|title=Stardust victims to end protest at Silver Swan pub|work=[[Irish Examiner]]|date=24 April 2006|access-date=13 February 2016|archive-date=22 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160222150950/http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/stardust-victims-to-end-protest-at-silver-swan-pub-255594.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 13 February 2011, there was an afternoon Mass at Saint Joseph's Church in [[Coolock]] and a wreath was placed at the [[Stardust Memorial Park]].<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0213/297631-stardust/ | title=30th anniversary of Stardust tragedy | publisher=RTE | date=13 February 2011 | accessdate=6 February 2021 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110214103407/http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0213/stardust.html | archivedate=14 February 2011 }}</ref> The following evening, a candlelight vigil was held at the Stardust grounds.

==Depiction in media==
==="They Never Came Home"===
In July 1985, Irish [[folk music|folk singer]] [[Christy Moore]] was found guilty of [[contempt of court]] after writing and releasing a song, titled "They Never Came Home", about the plight of the victims, seemingly damning the owners of the nightclub and the government. The song was released on the ''[[Ordinary Man (Christy Moore album)|Ordinary Man]]'' album and as the B-side of a single in 1985. The song claimed, "hundreds of children are injured and maimed, and all just because the fire exits were chained". Mr Justice Murphy ordered the ''Ordinary Man'' album to be withdrawn from the shops, and costs were awarded against Moore. "Another Song Is Born" was recorded for the album's re-release. "They Never Came Home" later appeared on his box set and on the album ''Where I Come From''.<ref>{{cite news
 |title        = The story of Christy Moore and the Stardust song
 |url          = http://www.dublinpeople.com/news/northsideeast/articles/2016/02/02/the-story-of-christy-moore-and-the-stardust-song/
 |access-date  = 18 April 2024
 |publisher    = The Dublin People: Northside East
 |date         = 2 February 2016
 |archive-date = 3 February 2016
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20160203092823/http://www.dublinpeople.com/news/northsideeast/articles/2016/02/02/4113596-the-story-of-christy-moore-and-the-stardust-song/
 |url-status   = live
}}</ref><ref>Moore, Christy (2003)."One Voice"p.168. Hodder and Stoughton.London.</ref>

=== Television ===
In 2006, Ireland's national broadcaster, [[Raidió Teilifís Éireann]] (RTÉ), caused controversy by producing a [[docu-drama]] about the disaster entitled ''[[Stardust (TV miniseries)|Stardust]]'', to mark the 25th anniversary of the incident. The series was based on the book ''They Never Came Home: The Stardust Story'' by Neil Fetherstonhaugh and Tony McCullagh. Many families of victims objected to this and were upset by the painful memories it brought up. Reasons for objection included the depiction of the fire and a perceived focus on some key families, which some felt portrayed the disaster as only impacting a select few.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/stardust-relatives-anger-at-rte-26402750.html|title=Stardust relatives anger at RTÉ|last=Quinn|first=Ben|date=6 January 2006|work=[[Irish Independent]]|accessdate=28 November 2013|archive-date=3 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203102537/http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/stardust-relatives-anger-at-rte-26402750.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

An edition of ''[[Prime Time (Irish TV programme)|Prime Time]]'', RTÉ's [[current affairs (news format)|current affairs]] programme, broadcast on 14 February 2006, cast doubts on some of the findings of the original tribunal.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/0214/primetime.html|title=Prime Time: Calls for new investigation into Stardust fire|date=14 February 2006|work=RTÉ.ie|accessdate=28 November 2013|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070312230338/http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/0214/primetime.html|archivedate=12 March 2007}}</ref> The programme produced witnesses who were outside the building on the night. Some outside saw fire coming from the roof up to eight minutes before those inside did. New evidence concerning the building's contents and layout was also presented. Other details presented included the actual location of a storeroom containing flammable materials and cleaning agents.{{fact|date=April 2024}} The plan of the building, which the tribunal used and which was critical to its findings, was shown to be confusingly flawed by locating the storeroom on the wrong level. It showed the storeroom to be "over the basement", but there was no basement in the building, and the store and lamp rooms were located in the roof space on the first floor. The list of contents of the store was not put before the inquiry and included large amounts of flammable materials, including polishes and floor waxes, with the inquiry assuming only normal everyday items were inside.{{reference needed|date=December 2022}} A re-enactment of the fire suggested that it did not happen as the tribunal had found. The programme theorised that the fire started in the roof space where the storeroom was located and had already spread across the main nightclub roof space area before those inside were aware of it.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBaFiK8Vn30|title=Stardust Disco.Primetime Investigates Part 2|publisher=[[YouTube]]|access-date=11 November 2019|archive-date=23 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923034241/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBaFiK8Vn30|url-status=live}}</ref>

In early 2011, close to the 30th anniversary of the fire, a documentary was aired on [[TV3 (Ireland)|TV3]].<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.dublinlive.ie/news/dublin-news/stardust-fire-what-happened-investigation-12603315 | website = dublinlive.ie | title = Stardust fire: What happened and where is the investigation now? | date = 14 February 2017 | accessdate = 19 April 2024 }}</ref> The documentary, titled ''Remembering Stardust: 30 Years On'', reflected on the events of the night of the fire, the aftermath and the various controversies and legal proceedings that followed. Survivors Jimmy Fitzpatrick and Antoinette Keegan along with retired Dublin fireman Paul Shannon were among those interviewed.{{fact|date=April 2024}}

In December 2017, RTÉ broadcast a one-hour episode of a TV series where survivors of the fire and relatives of some of the 48 people who died were interviewed by [[Charlie Bird]].<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2017/1212/926774-whats-on-tv-highlights-for-tuesday-dec-12/ | website = rte.ie | title = What's on? TV highlights | date = 12 December 2017 | accessdate = 19 April 2024 }}</ref> Bird had been the first journalist to the scene of the fire in 1981.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/stardust-survivors-pay-tribute-to-late-journalist-charlie-bird-as-he-joins-the-48-angels/a80628143.html | work = Irish Independent | title = Stardust survivors pay tribute to late journalist Charlie Bird as he joins the '48 angels' | date = 13 March 2024 | accessdate = 2025-05-27 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240313165617/independent.ie/irish-news/stardust-survivors-pay-tribute-to-late-journalist-charlie-bird-as-he-joins-the-48-angels/a80628143.html | archive-date=2024-03-13 }}</ref>

On 2 February 2022, [[TG4]] interviewed Lisa Lawlor on their show Finné.<ref>{{Cite news |title='Stardust took me over. It turned me into a victim too' |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/stardust-took-me-over-it-turned-me-into-a-victim-too-1.4458545 |access-date=2022-08-26 |newspaper=The Irish Times |language=en}}</ref> Her parents died in the fire when she was just 17 months old.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Short |first=Eva |date=2021-01-22 |title=All you need to know about Stardust activist Lisa Lawlor ahead of Late Late Show |url=https://www.irishmirror.ie/tv/who-lisa-lawlor-you-need-23370139 |access-date=2022-08-26 |website=Irish Mirror |language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite book  |url=http://opac.oireachtas.ie/AWData/Library3/Library2/DL038128.pdf |author=Tribunal of inquiry on the fire at the Stardust, Artane, Dublin on 14 February 1981 |title=Report |date=1982 |series=Government publications |volume=Pl.853|publisher=Stationery Office |location=Dublin |accessdate=28 November 2013}}
* {{cite book  |url=http://opac.oireachtas.ie/AWData/Library3/Library2/DL037820.pdf |author=Department of Justice |title=Scheme of compensation for personal injuries suffered at the Stardust, Artane on the 14th February, 1981 as amended |date=1986 |series=Government publications |volume=Pl.4035|publisher=Stationery Office |location=Dublin |accessdate=28 November 2013}}
* {{cite book  |url=http://opac.oireachtas.ie/AWData/Library3/Library2/DL039670.pdf |author=Stardust Victims' Compensation Tribunal |title=Report  |date=1990 |series=Government publications |volume=Pl.7831|publisher=Stationery Office |location=Dublin |accessdate=28 November 2013}}
* {{cite book|last1=Fetherstonhaugh|first1=Neil|last2=McCullagh|first2=Tony|title=They Never Came Home: The Stardust Story|date=1 January 2006|publisher=Merlin Books, Limited|isbn=9781903582633}}
* {{cite book|url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0123/stardustreport.pdf |title=Report of the independent examination of the Stardust Victims Committee's case for a reopened inquiry into the Stardust fire disaster |first=Paul |last=Coffey |authorlink1=Paul Coffey (judge) |date=2009|accessdate=28 November 2013 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025114422/http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0123/stardustreport.pdf |archivedate=25 October 2012 }}

{{History of Dublin}}
{{Nightclub fires}}
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[[Category:1981 disasters in Ireland]]
[[Category:1981 fires]]
[[Category:1981 in the Republic of Ireland]]
[[Category:1980s fires in Europe]]
[[Category:1980s in Dublin (city)]]
[[Category:February 1981 in Europe]]
[[Category:Fires in the Republic of Ireland]]
[[Category:Fire disasters involving barricaded escape routes]]
[[Category:Nightclub fires]]
[[Category:Public inquiries in Ireland]]
[[Category:Artane, Dublin]]