Over 200 relatives and friends of the families bereaved by the Stardust disaster turned out in protest last night at the proposed opening of a bar on the site of the infamous nightclub.
The opening of the newly-refurbished Silver Swan pub was, however, postponed hours prior to its anticipated launch on what was the 25th anniversary of the Stardust tragedy in which 48 young people died.
Last night survivors of the fire, locals and bereaved families carried placards which read "48 people dead when you put profit before people", and placed Valentine bouquets on the railings of the newly-refurbished pub.
Antoinette Keegan, a spokeswoman for the Stardust Victims' Committee, said their protests would continue in the coming days against the "business as usual" attitude of the bar owners.
Ultimately, she said, bereaved families wanted to see the building demolished and a memorial to the 48 victims erected.
Last night's protest followed the transferral of a bar licence last November for the Silver Swan pub to Patrick Butterly and Sons Ltd, who were the owners of the Stardust nightclub.
When an advertisement appeared in national newspapers on Monday seeking to undertake construction work on the adjoining car park, plans for a protest at the bar, which was formerly called Skelley's, gained momentum.
Jimmy Dunne, whose son Liam was a victim of the Stardust fire, said it was "completely insensitive" of the owners to choose February 14th as their launch date when so many people in the locality were grieving.
"I haven't stood outside this place in 25 years; I haven't set a foot near it and here I am tonight standing at what is really a crematorium," said Mr Dunne.
He said he had received information two hours before the planned protest at 6pm that the opening would not proceed because the owners had failed to receive one of the necessary certificates in time.
Antoinette Keegan's mother Christine said she would continue her protests until there was no entertainment or business operating at what is essentially a "graveyard" where her two daughters and 46 others perished.
Amid emotional scenes where candles were placed at the entrance to the bar and protesters openly wept, one local child, Ciara Kennelly (10), handed Christine Keegan a letter addressed to "all the people who lost their lives in the Stardust fire".
In it Ciara wrote: "I just wanted to say sorry."
Christy Moore, who famously wrote a song about the Stardust tragedy which was subsequently banned from the airwaves, also attended the protest.
He said the plans to open the bar on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the tragedy were "not surprising" and "utterly insensitive".
"It's almost a two fingers up to the long suffering of the victims."
Survivors of the fire Paula O'Brien and Susan Byrne said the decision to name the new pub the Silver Swan - the same name the bar had when it adjoined the Stardust nightclub in 1981 - was almost unbelievable.
"The RTÉ series has been brilliant in getting people out and raising the cause again," said Ms O'Brien.
Last night families welcomed an invitation to meet with the Taoiseach, and said they would be forwarding details of their new evidence to the relevant Government authorities in the coming days.