AFTER A 42-YEAR-LONG wait, the Stardust Inquest began as families read out pen portraits of their loved ones who passed away in the fire.

The tragedy saw 48 young people die in a fire at the Stardust nightclub in Artane on Valentine’s Day 1981.

The families of those who passed away gathered early this morning in a sunny Garden of Remembrance, just a stone’s throw away from where the inquest was due to begin – the Pillar Room in the Rotunda Hospital.

Antoinette Keegan, who lost her two sisters – Mary and Martina – in the fire, said that it was a “massive day” for the families.

“We’ve been waiting 42 years for this day to come, and finally we’re here.”

Representing some of the families, solicitor Darragh Mackin described it as “a momentous day” and that the families could now finally begin to get closure.

As they gathered around for photographs, family members held aloft signs with pictures and names of those who died in the fire. Among those in attendance was Charlie Bird, a former RTÉ reporter and vocal supporter of the families.

They quickly made the short walk down to the Rotunda, gathering in the specially constructed Coroner’s Court within the Pillar Room.

As Senior Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane arrived to open the inquest, she described it as “a very important morning” before telling the jury that they had “a very important task”.

Dr Cullinane said that the people who lost their lives during the Stardust fire would “be at the heart of this inquest”.

“It must be their lives that are vindicated,” Cullinane told the jury.

Cullinane explained that the pen portraits of each person who died in the tragedy would help both the jury and the public to understand the loss that the families experienced.

In the moments before the first pen portrait was read out, Dr Cullinane recited the names of all 48 victims in alphabetical order.

‘A living nightmare’

Gertrude Barrett, reading the pen portrait of her son Michael Barrett (17) who died in the tragedy, told the inquests’ jury that her family’s life was “good and all was well” until the night of the Stardust fire.

The jury heard that Michael was an apprentice plumber and that he had been working in the Stardust that night as an assistant DJ.

Mrs Barrett told the jury that Michael was a great brother and son and that – as the eldest – he had looked after and protected his younger siblings.

On the day of the Stardust fire, Mrs Barrett said that she was unaware that her family’s life would “change catastrophically forever”.

Mrs Barrett told the jury of how she was told to get a bus to Store Street and to visit the City Morgue.

As other families arrived at the morgue, Mrs Barrett said that everyone was in the “throes of unimaginable grief” and that people were shocked and in utter disbelief.

“The mayhem, the chaos, everything about it was horrendous. Utter horror, a living nightmare,” Mrs Barrett told the jury.

The experience will stay with me for life and my daughter too.

Mrs Barrett added that the fire had “ripped through the core of our beings” like a tornado and that there had been nothing left in its wake following the death of her son.

With Michael’s death, Mrs Barrett said that the lives of her three other children were immeasurably altered when they were just 10, 14 and 16, adding that they had to be raised through “a sea of tears”.

“Whilst I lost my eldest son to the Stardust, they lost their brother and they lost their mother as they knew her too,” Mrs Barrett told the jury.

“As a family, we will never recover from the trauma of the Stardust fire and its effects.”

“It has been absolutely crippling at times,” she added, saying that it had caused untold stress and anxiety.

Mrs Barrett said that although they have learned to live with the Stardust tragedy, it continues to impact their lives.

She told the jury that Michael was never able to fulfil his potential and that his life “ended before it even had a chance to begin”.

“Rest in peace Michael, we miss you and everything about you every day,” Mrs Barrett ended.

As Mrs Barrett left the stand, many of those gathered in the Coroner’s Court rose to their feet and applauded.

The second and final pen portrait of the day was for Carol Bissett (18), who passed away in hospital in the days following the Stardust fire.

Her mother, Betty Bissett, was emotional as she rose to share Carol’s pen portrait, telling the jury that there was “so much taken from her that night”.

“Devastating our family, friends and community. When the terrible news came we couldn’t take it in

“A bad dream, someone else’s nightmare. She was in hospital and died three days later.

“She was alone. I wasn’t there to hold her hand or tell her how I love her.”

Mrs Bissett told the jury that following her daughter’s death, she couldn’t be there for her other children.

“I lost my child and I couldn’t be there for the rest,” she said.

Mrs Bissett said that she often thinks about where Carol would be in her life today.

Her daughter Liz followed on, reading a poem that she wrote for her sister, telling the jury that it was all of her thoughts since Carol died in the Stardust fire.

“I just wish I got to say goodnight and I wish I could have held you tight,” Liz finished, becoming emotional.

As both Betty and Liz stood on the stand, people in the Pillar Room rose and erupted into applause again.

As the first day of the inquest drew to a close, Dr Cullinane asked both Betty and Liz were they okay, before telling them:

“It’s very difficult, but thanks so much for doing it.”

The inquest itself is expected to continue for around six months, with pen portraits due to be read out over the next three weeks.