Graphic footage, including of smouldering bodies being removed from the Stardust nightclub on the night 48 people were killed in a fire in 1981, was shown at Dublin coroner’s court on Thursday.
Described as “very difficult” but “important” by Dublin coroner Dr Myra Cullinane, the news footage – filmed by RTÉ but never broadcast – was displayed without sound on day 94 of the inquests into the deaths of the 48, aged 16 to 27, in the north Dublin nightclub in the early hours of February 14th, 1981.
Among the scenes viewed by the 13-person jury were lifeless, clearly identifiable bodies, still smouldering, being brought from the burning ballroom, lain on the ground and hosed gently by members of Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB).
In one clip a male, his chest smouldering, is lain down, his shirt neck opened and his neck checked. In another a girl is lain on her side and put in the recovery position. Behind her can be seen at least two male bodies lain on the ground.
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DFB firemen are seen in several clips bringing bodies, covered in grey blankets, on stretchers to ambulances lined up outside, while other remains are carried from the building wrapped in carrying-sheets.
Other clips showed firemen donning breathing apparatus before going into the building; unconscious or dead people being carried out; gardaí in long blue overcoats shining torches and directing crowds; people crying and supporting others unable to walk.
Families of some of the 48 who died in the disaster, present in court, became visibly upset watching the footage.
The jury was also shown clips from interviews broadcast on RTÉ television. Among them was an interview with Stardust manager Eamon Butterly outside the Artane ballroom in the days after the disaster in which he was asked if the exits were open.
“Every single door in the place was open,” he said. “All the doors have chains on them and the chains were hanging on the doors, opened. When the chains are taken off the door to open them at night they are hanging on one side.
“The chains cannot, and the locks cannot be mixed up, but they are not actually locking the doors . . . The doors can be pushed open,” he continued. “The chains are put over the locks on the door at night-time only. Categorically all the exit doors were open. The chains are hanging, just hanging down, completely open, just hanging down one side of the door.
“Everything will come out. That is what this inquiry is for,” he adds, referring to the tribunal of inquiry established immediately after the blaze and chaired by Mr Justice Ronan Keane.
“The truth will come out. My conscious is clear. I am very upset man but my conscience is clear in so far as I did everything possible from the day that place opened to make it as safe as possible.”
In another clip a former Stardust doorman, Noel Quigley, who had stopped working there some weeks before the fire and had tried to let his friend in on the night by opening exits from inside, says: “I checked four of them and they were all locked, all chained and bolted.”
The venue’s head of security, Phelim Kinahan, interviewed in 1981 said: “Every exit was available ... None of them were closed. All exits were open. Every one of the exits were open.”
Earlier on Thursday, Pauline Murray, who was 16 at the time of the blaze, described losing her best friend Josephine Glen (16), and Helena Mangan (22) to whom she was “very close”, who both perished.
She had gone to the Stardust with Josephine, sitting at a table by the dance floor. Helena was at another table with her boyfriend, John Stout (18) who also perished.
Ms Murray was dancing when she saw smoke “up on the ceiling”. She ran to their table where Josephine was sitting and said, “Come on Jo.” Their friend, Neil Campbell, grabbed both their hands and started bringing them towards the nearest exit, number five off the dance floor.
“I could feel the heat on my face and hands . . .Then the lights went out and my hand slipped from Campbell’s hand and I fell. There was people walking all over me and the place was black with smoke.” She said she managed to get up and was “about four feet from the door”.
“Then some fellah grabbed me and pulled me outside.” She was taken to Dr Steevens’ hospital and treated for extensive burns to her hands, arms, back, chest, neck and face.
Josephine died in hospital on February 19th, 1981.
The inquests continue, resuming on January 9th.
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