DUBLIN — 1981 · Major Tragedy
The Stardust Nightclub Fire
In the early hours of 14 February 1981 a fire broke out at the Stardust nightclub in north Dublin while more than 800 young people were inside; 48 died and around 200 were injured. For years the fire was suggested to have been arson, a finding the families fought. In the longest inquests in Irish history, a jury ruled on 18 April 2024 that all 48 had been unlawfully killed, finding the fire began with an electrical fault in the bar and that some exits were locked or chained. The Irish State later issued a formal apology to the families.
- Date
- 1981
- Place
- Artane, Ireland, Dublin, IE
- Category
- Major Tragedy
- Case Status
- Closed
- Coordinates
- 53.3870, -6.2150 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 14 February 1981Fire broke out at the Stardust.
- 1982The original tribunal pointed to probable arson.
- April 2023New inquests opened.
- 18 April 2024The jury returned 48 unlawful-killing verdicts.
Sources
- The Irish Times — Stardust inquests: unlawful killing verdicts irishtimes.com ↗
- ITV News — Deaths of 48 people in nightclub fire unlawful itv.com ↗
- The Irish Times
- ITV News
Source grade B: at least one verifiable linked source. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.