Stardust evidence review fails to explain blaze that killed 48

NO new inquiry will be held into the Stardust disaster, the single worst fire in the Republic’s history.

Forty-eight people died in the 1981 Valentine’s Day blaze at the nightclub in Artane, Dublin, and hundreds more were injured in the tragedy.

The cause of the fire was originally said to have been arson — a theory that was subsequently ruled out following a fresh inquiry in 2009 after years of campaigning by victims’ relatives.

A new review of evidence in the case was headed this year by retired judge Patrick McCartan, who found the cause of the fire cannot be explained and may never be known.

Irish Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan said: “I want to acknowledge the terrible pain and loss of the relatives of the victims and the fact that the report does not come to the conclusion that

Inferno: Aftermath of deadly fire

they would have wished for.” Mr Flanagan said the McCartan report is the third independent assessment of available evidence.

Finian McGrath, who is the Republic’s Minister of State for Disability Issues, said the rela- tives were foremost in his mind at this time.

“This will come as a major disappointment to the Stardust Relatives and Victims Committee, which has been working tirelessly for years to determine the cause of the fire,” he said.

The fire broke out in the early hours of February 14, 1981 with more than 800 young people inside. Most of the dead were from Artane, Kilmore and Coolock.

Investigations have discovered some escape routes were hindered because emergency exits were locked by chains.

Judge McCartan’s review found that a dossier on new evidence about the Stardust disaster, which was submitted in July, was “rambling, argumentative, disorganised and at times incoherent”.

It said a 999 call from eyewitness Brenda Kelly, who reported a fire in the roof of the building, could be considered new evidence, but it offered no explanation on how the fire started.