Stardust fire inquest verdicts due in Dublin – BBC News

Taoiseach (prime minister) Simon Harris says he is “extremely conscious of the fact that this must be an extraordinarily difficult and emotional day for all of the families involved”.

He adds he will be ready to “interact and engage” with the families once the inquest outcome is known.

Tánaiste (deputy prime minister) Micheál Martin says the verdicts will be a “huge moment” for the families and the entire country.

“The Stardust tragedy is seared on the collective consciousness of the Irish people and the tenacity of the families and their success in securing this inquest has been a service to all in society,” he continues.

Susan Morgan, from Londonderry, was one of three people from Northern Ireland killed in the fire.

Speaking before the verdict, her brother Paul says he remembers her as lovely and bubbly.

Her friend Yvonne Graham, who survived the blaze, says she wants justice for the 48 people who died.

A number of families have arrived at Dublin District Coroner’s Court ahead of the verdicts.

Irish broadcaster RTÉ reports among them is Colm O’Brien, who was one of the DJs on the night of the fire.

Phyllis and Maurice McHugh, whose daughter Caroline died in the fire are also attending.

The verdicts are expected to be delivered from 14:00 local time.

The jury retired on 3 April and, after 11 days of deliberations, yesterday the coroner said she would accept a majority verdict.

The 12-person jury is made up of seven women and five men.

Last month, the coroner told the jury the verdicts could be accidental death, death by misadventure, unlawful killing, an open verdict or a narrative verdict.

More than 800 people were attending a Valentine’s Day disco at the Stardust ballroom in north Dublin when a fire took hold in the early hours of the morning.

Forty-eight people died, the youngest aged 16 and the oldest aged 27.

The cause of the fire has never been determined.

In 1982, an original inquest lasted for five days and recorded the cause of the deaths in accordance with medical evidence, with no reference to the circumstances or the cause of the fire.

A tribunal which found the cause of the fire to be “probably arson” was labelled flawed by the families who contested its conclusion.

In 2019, the Republic of Ireland’s attorney general confirmed an application for new inquests had been successful after years of campaigning by the families.

They began in April 2023 and have heard from 370 witnesses over 122 days.

Welcome to our live coverage as the verdicts are delivered in the Stardust Inquests.

They have been examining the deaths of 48 people in a fire at the ballroom in north Dublin in 1981.

We will bring you the latest developments and reaction from the families.