LAST UPDATE | 18 Apr
TAOISEACH SIMON HARRIS has said An Garda Síochána will consider the outcome of the today’s verdict of unlawful killing in the Stardust inquests.
A representative for some of the families has also called for an apology from the Taoiseach.
This afternoon, the jury in the Stardust inquests delivered a verdict of unlawful killing in the case of all 48 victims who died in the fire in 1981.
Speaking to reporters in Brussels, Harris said it is not a matter for him to speak of behalf of An Garda Síochána, but added that he is aware the Gardaí “will, of course, consider the outcome of the inquests today”.
“It will be a matter for the Gardaí to consider what steps they believe they must take,” the Taoiseach said.
An Garda Síochána said that, “along with everybody else”, it has “just been made aware of the jury’s verdict in the Stardust inquiry”.
“An Garda Síochána will now await the Coroner’s Report on the matter,” a spokesperson said.
“The thoughts of all in An Garda Síochána are with the families of the victims, as well as the survivors of the Stardust tragedy.”
The Taoiseach said the Government will consider today’s verdict and the recommendations of the jury in full.
Speaking to reporters after the verdict was delivered, Darragh Mackin, a solicitor representing most of the victims’ families said that the families were “never going to give up” in their search for justice.
When asked by The Journal what the next step is for the families, Mackin said the next step is that the families have called on the Government to apologise.
“They deserve an apology, it is the very least they should be offered and we look forward to seeing the Taoiseach apologise to the families for what they have been put through,” Mackin said.
He said today, the dedication of the families paid off.
Mackin said he could not put into words the feeling in the room this afternoon when the verdict was delivered.
“Until the day I die I will never forget the first two words that I heard in the midst of all the shouting and roaring: ‘At last’.
“And for me, that sums it up,” he said.
In a statement earlier today, Taoiseach Simon Harris said the Stardust tragedy was one of the “darkest moments in our history” and described it as a “heart-breaking tragedy”.
“Today we remember the 48 people who lost their lives, all those who were injured, and all those whose lives were marked forever by the tragedy,” the Taoiseach said.
“For over four decades, the families of the victims have carried the weight of this tragedy with unwavering strength and dignity.
“Their relentless pursuit of truth and accountability, their profound commitment to justice, even in the face of overwhelming challenges and setbacks, was not only a fight for their loved ones but a campaign to ensure that such a disaster never happens again,” the statement read.
The Taoiseach continued:
Their courageous campaign demands our respect and our support.
“They never stopped searching for answers, for justice, and for some form of peace.
We best honour all those who died by ensuring that the voices of their loved ones are heard and acted upon.”
He acknowledged and thanked the coroner, her team and the jurors.
His statement concluded:
“48 young people never came home that night, but as Taoiseach I want to say this to their families; You never gave up on justice for them, you never let Ireland forget about them. They were never alone, and our country owes you a great debt for that.”
President Micheal D. Higgins said in a statement that today’s verdict is “vindication of the fight” of the relatives who lost loved ones.
President Higgins said the inquests only took place because of the “endurance and tenacity” of the families.
“Today’s findings have at last brought a conclusion as to the circumstances of their death: to the cause of the fire, to the factors which contributed to its spread, to the factors which impeded those who died in their ability to escape and to access and exit through emergency exits, by its ultimate verdict of unlawful killing,” he said.
He concluded: “As President of Ireland, I congratulate each of the families for the outcome of their steadfastness in pursuit of justice in honouring the memory of those they cared most for on this most important of days.”
Elsewhere, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee echoed the Taoiseach’s remarks and described today as a “landmark” day.
She said she hoped it has brought answers, and some comfort, to the families and friends of those who died in the fire on Valentine’s Day in 1981.
Minister McEntee described it as a national tragedy that has left a particular legacy of pain most particularly for the people of North Dublin.
“All those affected have endured so much, and while I know the pain of such loss and suffering never fades, I hope they will feel they have today finally got to the truth of what happened,” she said.
Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said the “families of the Stardust victims were denied justice for far, far too long”.
“Nothing can undo the long years of pain and suffering but I hope it is of some comfort that their tireless campaign on behalf of their loved ones has finally been vindicated,” Ryan said.
“I commend the Coroner and jurors for their determined work in allowing the full facts of one of the darkest nights in Irish history to finally emerge.”
Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald said in a statement: “Justice has been a long time coming for the Stardust families; today it has arrived.”
“The verdict of unlawful killing confirms what survivors, victims’ families and Dubliners have always known,” McDonald said.
She continued: “The forty-eight young lives that were taken in the Stardust tragedy night will be forever missed by those that love them. Now each family has the comfort of knowing the truth of that night and why their loved one died.
“It has been a long and heartbreaking road for victims’ families and survivors.
“They have overcome countless, cruel obstacles and diversions, including those put up by the Irish State. They have overcome. We salute them.
“The forty-eight young people who died on St. Valentine’s morning 1981 will be forever remembered.”
Dublin City Council
Meanwhile, a statement from Dublin City Council acknowledged the verdicts of the jury and said it is hoped they will provide closure for the families who lost their loved ones.
The Council also thanked Dublin Fire Brigade for its response to the fire on the night.
The statement read:
“The Council thanks the jury for its long attendance at the inquests and its careful deliberations. The Council also thanks Dr. Myra Cullinane, Dublin Senior Coroner who presided over the inquests.”
It continued:
The Council wishes to publicly commend Dublin Fire Brigade for its response to the fire on the night, for the members’ heroic efforts in effecting rescue and for conducting themselves to the highest standards of the Fire Brigade.”
“Finally, our thoughts are with the 48 people who died on that awful night and their families. May they Rest In Peace,” the statement concluded.
With reporting from Cormac Fitzgerald and Hayley Halpin
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