Steel plates and vertical steel bars were welded inside and outside the toilet windows in the Stardust nightclub “for security” six weeks before a fire that killed 48 young people in the north Dublin venue, inquests into their deaths heard on Wednesday.
Mark Tottenham JC, for the coroner, told the jury there were four windows, which could open 22cm (9 inches), in the ladies’ and gents’ toilets at the front of the Stardust complex. Inquests into the deaths of 48 who died in the fire in the early hours of February 14th, 1981, are taking place in Dublin.
While the windows’ primary purpose was for ventilation “it might have been possible for a person to get through them in an emergency”, said Mr Tottenham. “At the time of the fire, steel plates had been welded internally to the frames of the toilet windows. There were also vertical bars welded to the outside of the windows.
“The steel plates had been fixed by the management approximately six weeks before the fire for security purposes,” he said.
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There were also windows in the cash office and spirit store “with vertical bars welded to the outside of each window but without steel plates”.
Mr Tottenham, who provided a presentation on “agreed facts” – primarily about the building itself as well as its ownership and staffing on the night of the fire – said there were six main emergency exits, as well as other possible escape routes including windows.
There had been seven inspections of the venue between July 1979 and January 1981, by a Dublin Corporation inspector of places of public resort, Martin Donohoe. Mr Donohoe, whose special responsibility for was electrical matters, had reported issues requiring attention, which could include “the obstructing of exits” to his superiors.
[ Pen portraits: stories of the 48 young people who died in the Stardust fireOpens in new window ]
Dublin Fire Brigade, however, did not inspect the venue at any time after it opened in March 1978. “In general, routine inspections of places of public resort were not carried out by the fire brigade,” said Mr Tottenham.
“All buildings, in whatever category they fell, were inspected by the fire brigade under the provisions of the Fire Brigades Act, 1940, in order to ascertain whether a fire precautions notice should be served under that Act, but this was only done in response to complaints. No such inspection was carried out in the case of the Stardust.”
“Although a number of members of the fire service had attended the premises as patrons, there had been no systematic inspection of buildings in the area by members [of DFB}. There were no maps of fire hydrants in any of the fire stations in Dublin,” he added.
During his presentation Mr Tottenham presented photographs of the exterior and interior of the Stardust, taken both and after the inferno.
Among these was of the internal ceiling, suspended from the roof, comprised mostly of mineral fibre tiles. Photos included those of burnt, red, carpet tiles on the walls “made of polyester fibre on a PVC backing [and] attached to the walls by means of a synthetic adhesive”.
In north and west alcoves off the main dance floor were tiered seats, fixed to floor and constructed from steel frames with chipboard. The seats were padded with polyurethane foam covered in PVC-coated fabric.
The Stardust had been built in 1948, and was known as Scott’s Food factory, owned then by DR&W Scott (Ireland) Ltd. The company was “subsequently acquired by members of the Butterly family”. They decided to convert it into an “amenity centre” in 1972, and conversion of a portion of the building into the Stardust venue was complete in 1978. It comprised the Lantern Rooms restaurant, the Silver Swan bar and Stardust ballroom.
“In February, 1980, the activities in the Stardust were extended from cabarets and concerts to the holding of ‘disco’ dances on Friday and Sunday nights,” the jury heard. “The owners continued to use the remainder of the premises as a food factory”.
