{"id":22506,"date":"2021-07-28T13:02:49","date_gmt":"2021-07-28T17:02:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=22506"},"modified":"2021-07-28T13:02:49","modified_gmt":"2021-07-28T17:02:49","slug":"stardust-inquest-will-give-families-answers-to-long-unanswered-questions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=22506","title":{"rendered":"Stardust Inquest Will Give Families Answers To Long Unanswered Questions"},"content":{"rendered":"

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An aerial photo showing the aftermath of the Stardust blaze (PA Archive\/PA Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>The inquest into the Stardust fire will attempt to allay rumors and suspicion surrounding the tragedy in which 48 people died, a pre-inquest hearing has been told.<\/p>\n

The fifth pre-inquest heard how previous inquiries into the events at the Artane nightclub on Valentine\u2019s Day 1981 were \u201cflawed\u201d and left a vacuum of unanswered questions.<\/p>\n

The hearing took place at the Dublin District Coroner\u2019s Court, sitting at the RDS in Dublin, ahead of the full inquest scheduled for October.<\/p>\n

A fresh inquest is being held after former attorney general Seamus Woulfe ruled that one should be held in the public interest.<\/p>\n

More than 800 people attended the disco at the popular venue and despite two inquiries into the disaster, nobody has ever been held responsible.<\/p>\n

Senior counsel Michael O\u2019Higgins, who represents the majority of the families, said he is \u201chesitant\u201d to put on record any rumors that have circulated since the tragedy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you get a set of circumstances where there were inquiries that were either not complete or found to be flawed, and a large amount of people who are grieving and not getting answers to questions, there is a vacuum, and that is a vacuum which gets filled,\u201d he told the court.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe purpose of an inquest is to make a very real attempt to allay those rumors and at least at the end can say, certain facts were established.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said that the inquest will help \u201cabate\u201d the situation where things which \u201cexist in myth\u201d are repeated as reality.<\/p>\n

A number of submissions were put forward to Dublin coroner Dr Myra Cullinane, who will determine the scope of inquiries as part of the inquest.<\/p>\n

The inquest has been beset with delays, including rows over legal aid between the victims\u2019 families and the Department of Justice.<\/p>\n

Mr O\u2019Higgins told the coroner\u2019s court that all parties want the full inquest to start as soon as possible.<\/p>\n

The families have submitted 11 issues they have asked the coroner to consider before the full inquest begins late this year.<\/p>\n

Mr O\u2019Higgins said there is a \u201cvery heavy onus\u201d on those involved in the inquest to do everything \u201cwithin our grasp to get this as right as is humanly possible\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is first and foremost about the families and it\u2019s opportunity for them to try and find out the answer to questions, many key questions which remain unanswered for many years,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n

\u201cMany questions which regrettably will remain unanswered or likely to remain unanswered in the absence of very, very diligent perseverance.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s submitted that matters raised by us are both realistic in terms of the matter of which we are about to embark on and matters which the court will hopefully conclude.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said that the inquest should probe how and why the fire started, the design and condition of the building, fittings, fixtures and installations as well as safety and escape measures.<\/p>\n

The court was also told that it should consider whether these \u201cadequately minimized the risk of fire or harm in a fire\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cI acknowledge that any examination of a witness in that regard, or any line of inquiry isn\u2019t for the purpose of either condemning someone in the sense of a finding of any civil liability or any condemnation of criminal liability or any question of that sort is designed to exonerate any particular individual,\u201d Mr O\u2019Higgins added.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe higher courts in Ireland have pointed out that while there is an absolute prohibition on such lines, it doesn\u2019t mean that matters can\u2019t be investigated which of themselves in another forum might give rise to form of liability.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe purpose of the inquest is to establish facts.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf any of our list of issues might appear to be detrimental to any individual, we are not seeking a detriment, we are simply seeking to establish facts as in the dicta expressed in the Supreme Court.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a matter of record, there have been a number of previous inquiries, most of it, if not all, appear to have deficits and some have retrospectively been found to have been very substantially flawed.<\/p>\n

\u201cAn additional factor in an inquest of this sort is the passage of time because it is not a friend to litigation as it complicates matters.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause there have been other inquiries, there is a very heavy onus on everyone participating in this process to do everything within our grasp to get this as right as is humanly possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

The coroner said she will consider the submissions and publish a preliminary determination of scope.<\/p>\n

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