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There were tears outside Leinster House as families and survivors of the Stardust fire gathered to remember the 48 young people who died in the disaster.<\/p>\nThere were tears outside Leinster House as families and survivors of the Stardust fire gathered to remember the 48 young people who died in the disaster.<\/p>\n
The popular nightclub in Artane, Dublin, was destroyed in a blaze on Valentine\u2019s Day in 1981 in what is considered the worst fire disaster in the history of the state.<\/p>\n
Antoinette Keegan, who survived the fire but lost her two sisters Mary, 19, and Martina, 16, was tearful on Thursday, as she recounted her experience fighting for her life after the fire, and for justice in the years since.<\/p>\n
The families recently petitioned the Attorney General for a new inquest, citing fresh, previously unrecorded evidence.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe picked here because the 48 victims of this fire have become insignificant to this government and previous government,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want the inquest reopened and we want the verdict recorded and we shouldn\u2019t have to do this.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor us this is a day of sadness, the Government have not responded, and just ignored us.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d like to ask Leo Varadkar if he would like his mother to go through 38 years of injustice like my mother does, and the other families, there\u2019s a young girl here today who lost her mother \u2013 she should be together with her mother on Valentine\u2019s Day.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn any other country, those who are responsible are held to account, but not in Ireland.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith an inquest we can get truth, we can get closure, without closure you feel trapped.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re consumed, morning, noon and night it\u2019s Stardust.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not called by our names any more, it\u2019s \u2018Stardust families\u2019, it\u2019s all still very raw.\u201d<\/p>\n
Investigations into the fire showed that a number of escape routes from the dance hall were blocked as emergency doors were locked by chains. Concerns have also been raised about the investigation of the scene, which allowed politicians and media to walk through the building just hours later.<\/p>\n
Despite findings of safety breaches, there were no prosecutions over the incident.<\/p>\n
An initial finding of probable arson meant that the relatives of the dead and injured were unable to sue the club owners and operators for alleged negligence.<\/p>\n
In 1983, the owners of the Stardust were awarded damages of more than 730,000 euro after suing Dublin Corporation.<\/p>\n
The initial verdict of arson, which victims have always denied, has since been thrown out.<\/p>\n
Sinn Fein MEP Lynn Boylan, who has been campaigning on behalf of the families, says the fight has gone on too long.<\/p>\n
\u201cLots of people are out and about today, young and in love, and to think back to all those young people 38 years ago who never came home,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople should email the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and ask him to meet with the families.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to keep the pressure on the Government, the Attorney General that these families deserve justice, it\u2019s gone on too long now for anybody to wait.\u201d<\/p>\n