A WOMAN who survived the Stardust fire in Dublin 40 years ago has recalled how the blaze came "down on top" of those who were in the popular nightclub.
Antoinette Keegan, who lost her sisters, Mary and Martina in the tragedy, said the details of what happened on Feburary 14, 1981 are "imprinted in my head".
Considered to be the worst fire disaster in the history of the Republic, the blaze at the nightclub in Artane claimed 48 lives and left 200 people injured.
Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Claire Byrne yesterday, Antoinette recalled seeing the fire when she was dancing, with smoke drifting across the ceiling.
She said she alerted her friend and then the DJ made an announcement for everyone to stay calm as the fire was under control.
However, when the friends walked over to their seats where they had left their coats, the fire was coming down on top of them.
She said: "The DJ made another announcement for everyone to make their way to the nearest exit.
"The fire was actually coming down on top of us," she said.
"The roof and the ceiling started collapsing on top of us and thick black smoke filled up everywhere. The lights went out and the music stopped."
She said the lights went out and they couldn't breathe.
"It was horrible," she said.
A tribunal held a year after the fire, chaired by Justice Ronan Keane, concluded the cause of the fire was probably arson.
However, the tribunal was labelled flawed and the conclusion was contested by the victims’ families.
In 2009, an independent examination into the tribunal reported there was no evidence to support Justice Keane’s finding that the fire was started deliberately near the ballroom of the nightclub.
Families have since campaigned for a fresh inquiry.
Concerns included the fact that a number of escape routes from the dance hall were blocked because emergency doors were locked by chains and that politicians and the media were allowed walk through the investigation scene just days later.
Despite findings of safety breaches, there were no prosecutions over the incident.
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.
In 1983, the owners of the Stardust were awarded damages of more than €730,000 after suing Dublin Corporation.
In September 2019, the Republic’s attorney general gave the go-ahead for a new inquest into the tragedy.
Antoinette said the decision came three weeks after her mother, Christine passed away.
"She carried the campaign and kept fighting for justice and this year is going to be really hard," she said.
"To relive the whole lot again from 40 years ago. It is a memory imprinted in my head. I can still remember every single detail of that night."
On the 40th anniversary of the tragedy tomorrow the Archbishop of Dublin will celebrate a Mass at Bonnybrook Church located near the scene of the blaze in north Dublin.
Families and victims will then take part in a gathering at the scene of the fire in Artane where they will sing the Christy Moore song ‘They Never Came Home’ which was written about the tragedy.
