Stardust nightclub fire site

This is the site of the Stardust nightclub fire.

It is situated at Artane Place in Artane, Dublin.

The club was located to the north of the present-day Artane Castle Shopping Centre. Until recently, the location was known as Butterly Business Park.

The building was originally a food factory. In 1978, the owners, the Butterly family, converted it into a nightclub.

Although most of the building was demolished, the owners kept the original facade at the entrance. Today, it is largely obscured by a petrol station.

Fire

On Friday, February 13, 1981, hundreds of teenagers and young adults attended a Valentine's Day dance at the Stardust nightclub.

In the early hours of February 14, patrons noticed that the temperature was rising. Some jokingly speculated that someone had turned up the heat.

At around 1:42 a.m., a man called the Gardaí to report that his girlfriend's handbag had been stolen at the nightclub. While he was speaking to the operator, people suddenly began screaming in the background. At that point, the caller hung up.

Shortly afterward, the DJ announced that there was a small fire on the premises. He called for calm and assured the crowd that everything was under control.

The situation escalated when a bouncer grabbed a fire extinguisher and lifted a nearby shutter. While the shutter was rolling up, a large ball of fire surged out.

The general unease turned into chaos when clubgoers saw the bouncer drop his extinguisher and flee. Panic ensued as the flames poured into the main ballroom and began climbing the walls.

The blaze quickly swept through the seats, tables, and ceiling. Meanwhile, patrons rushed towards the nearest exits.

Thick smoke filled the venue, lights began to fail, and melted plastic started dripping from the ceiling. Screams rang out in the darkness as people fled in different directions. Some fell and were trampled.

One survivor recalled crawling on his hands and knees after he was repeatedly knocked to the ground.

The owners had padlocked most of the fire exits to prevent people from sneaking into the nightclub without paying. Furthermore, the windows of the club were blocked by thick metal bars that were impossible to remove.

Many of the dead and injured were found near the padlocked fire exits. When the emergency services arrived and opened the doors, they found bodies piled on top of one another.

A witness later described how some of the patrons were trapped in the toilets:

"There were people on the inside of the toilet windows. Banging on them. Banging and screaming. While burning. While burning, [and screaming] 'Let us out!'"

Aftermath

In total, 48 young adults and teenagers were killed in the fire. Twelve of the victims were under 18. Five of the victims remained unidentified until 2007, when DNA testing confirmed their names.

Many of the survivors suffered from PTSD, guilt, and bereavement. In the years that followed, at least 25 people attempted suicide.

The owners were controversially exonerated from legal responsibility after the original investigation concluded that the fire was "probably" arson.

The arson verdict was overturned in 2009 after a report found it was not based on any evidence. However, the review could not change the legal culpability of the owners.

In September 2019, the Office of the Attorney General confirmed that a fresh inquest would be held into the incident. The inquest began in April 2023.

One year later, the jury determined that the fire was caused by an electrical fault in the hot press (airing cupboard) of the main bar. Consequently, it returned a verdict of "Unlawful Killing" for each victim.

Memorial park

During the early 1990s, the Dublin Corporation built a 26-acre park to commemorate the lives of those who died in the fire.

Dublin Lord Mayor Tomás Mac Giolla officially opened the park in September 1993.

It is situated in the Bonnybrook parish of Coolock, approximately 1.3 miles (2.2 km) north of the former nightclub.

The park contains a memorial called the Fountain of Youth, which features a bronze statue of a couple dancing. The fountain has 48 jets, one for each victim.