LAST UPDATE | 22 Sep 2023
THE FORMER MANAGER of the Stardust disco Eamon Butterly took to the stand again today to give evidence at the inquests into the deaths of 48 people in a fire at the nightclub in 1981.
Mr Butterly is seen as a key witness and crucial in determining the events of the night.
He oversaw the day-to-day running of the complex, which was owned by his father, Patrick Butterly.
Several eyewitness accounts, some graphic, of people attempting to escape the club during the blaze were put to Mr Butterly today at Dublin District Coroner’s Court, as a legal representative sought to paint a picture of the panic that gripped the venue as smoke and fire began to spread at a Valentine’s Disco in the early hours of 14 February 1981.
This included people being pushed to the ground during a crush, some struggling to open exits even when they were kicked or only opening after great force was applied, and other patrons being forced by the weight of the crowd into smaller rooms where there were no exits.
“Does that not paint a very graphic picture of people who couldn’t get off the premises when the fire was raging?” Michael O’Higgins SC, representing a number of the families of the victims, asked in reference to accounts of exit two.
“It does,” Mr Butterly responded, but added that he was told that doorman Frankie Downes had unlocked the door, and he couldn’t understand how it was locked again.
“There are more people saying the same thing […] and you latch on to Mr Downes, who has something helpful, but you seem to ignore all the other accounts,” Mr O’Higgins responded.
“I do not ignore it, I am devastated,” Mr Butterly said.
Mr O’Higgins shared eyewitness accounts of people trying to escape through exit three which included reports of the door being secured with a lock and chain and patrons collapsing as they watched others attempt to open it.
“On the basis of those accounts, it seems pretty certain that door wouldn’t open without force, isn’t that right?” he asked.
“That’s what it looks like,” Mr Butterly replied.
The former manager also denied accusations that he was throwing the club’s now-deceased head doorman Thomas Kennan “under the bus” by telling the jury the bouncer kept exit doors locked until late in the night during events under his own initiative.
Doormen working at the club gave evidence previously that Mr Butterly was responsible for issuing instructions on the locking and unlocking of emergency exit doors. Mr Butterly told the court yesterday it was not policy, but was something Mr Kennan “told me he was doing” and was asked by Mr Butterly to stop when he found out.
Mr O’Higgins said that the door staff who had given evidence at the inquest had spoken of Mr Butterly “hiring and firing at will”.
“One of them said you had hired and fired him three times,” said Mr O’Higgins.
“I don’t recall that,” replied the witness.
“He said you were a tough man and very volatile,” said Mr O’Higgins.
“The person who was hiring the doormen was Mr Kennan,” replied Mr Butterly.
Mr O’Higgins asked:
If Tom Kennan was locking doors in circumstances where you didn’t want him to do it and you told him to stop doing it and he kept locking them, why didn’t you fire him?
“Tom Kennan was my father’s brother-in-law, he was my uncle, that’s why he was employed, he was an honourable person and I trusted him,” replied Mr Butterly.
“If what you’re saying isn’t true, you are attacking him in your evidence here, because you’re putting the blame on him, and he’s dead,” said Mr O’Higgins, going on to ask: “You wouldn’t be throwing Tom under the bus here?”
“I would not, no,” replied Mr Butterly.
The court also heard counsel for the coroner, Gemma McLoughlin-Burke BL, continue her questioning from Thursday
Ms McLoughlin-Burke returned to evidence that Mr Butterly gave on Thursday when she questioned him on what exactly his role was, as it appeared that he delegated responsibility for a wide range of tasks to other managers.
She listed these elements off in a back-and-forth with the witness, who confirmed the statements: Mr Butterly didn’t hire or fire staff, didn’t manage staff issues, and wasn’t told about problems in the nightclub.
He walked around the premises on the nights of various events but didn’t keep an eye on whether patrons were underage and didn’t make sure exits were not obstructed
He also didn’t recall seeing any obstructions such as crates blocking exits or doors being chained and shut.
“So, Mr. Butterly, what was your job in the Stardust?” Ms McLoughlin-Burke asked.
“My job was to look after the management of the place, through the managers that we had. That was my job. But I still went around and looked at…”
“Looked at things?”
“Yeah.”
“And had cups of tea.”
“I would go upstairs for a cup of tea, yeah,” Mr Butterly replied.
Mr Butterly will continue to give evidence on Tuesday.
Additional reporting by IINA/Ryan Dunne
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