Stardust families deserve apologies from all parties for 43 years of slander

Justice held the scales high at the conclusion of the inquest of the Stardust victims. A state apology is long overdue.

But there should also be an apology by the leader of each of the political parties that were in government at the time of the disaster and in the intervening 43 years.

It was these political parties that did nothing for the families in their pursuit of justice. They owe all an apology.

These very honourable and tenacious people were left to fight their own corner.

They fought for the names not only of their relatives, but of all the patrons who attended the Stardust on that tragic night. They were all branded as being potential arsonists.

The inquest verdict is that all 48 people were “unlawfully killed”. We can also conclude that the 214 injured were unlawfully injured.

Paddy Murray

Castlepollard, Co Westmeath