Irish Premier Apologizes for Stardust Tragedy, State’s Failure
On Tuesday, Irish Taoiseach Simon Harris extended a heartfelt apology to victims, survivors, and families of the 1981 Stardust fire tragedy, acknowledging the state’s failure to support them in their pursuit of justice.
A 40-year campaign for justice culminated last week in an inquest ruling that the 48 victims were unlawfully killed, likely due to an electrical fault in the bar’s hot press.
In a moving address to the Irish parliament, Harris expressed profound sorrow for the families’ protracted fight for truth and the stigma they endured.
“I know there have been many times when you thought this day would never come,” Harris said, addressing the families gathered in the public and distinguished visitors’ galleries. “I know you were forced to endure a living nightmare which began when your loved ones were snatched from you in a devastating fire.”
Harris emphasized the importance of finally addressing the wrongdoings of the past.
“I am deeply sorry that your first bid for justice ended with suspicion being cast on those who had died or survived on that catastrophic night, with your pain and your grief compounded by stigma and rejection,” he said.
“Families were forced to fight for decades to obtain the vindication that you won last Thursday when the inquest returned a verdict of unlawful killing in the case of your 48 family members.”
Harris acknowledged the state’s responsibility in the tragedy, stating, “For all of this, as Taoiseach on behalf of this state, I apologise unreservedly to all the families of the Stardust victims and all the survivors for the hurt that was done to them and for the profoundly painful years of struggle for the truth.”
Minister for Transport and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan described the apology as “an incredibly important day,” while expressing regret for the families’ prolonged wait for justice.
“The organs of the Irish state didn’t respond when repeatedly confronted by contradictory evidence,” Ryan said. “It’s a sobering indictment of our integrity as a nation and one that we must reflect upon, uncomfortable though it may be for many of us in the most powerful positions.”
The inquest findings confirmed what the families had long known – that their loved ones had been unlawfully killed. A previous finding in 1982, which suggested arson as the cause of the fire, was dismissed in 2009.
Lisa Lawlor, who was 17 months old when her parents died in the fire, expressed her contentment with the Taoiseach’s apology.
“I am very, very happy,” Lawlor said. “We have waited so long for this and have waited so long for something like this, especially me the Stardust baby, the only orphan.”
She added, “Losing both of them on the one night has been horrific. I can’t describe it to you, but I am vindicated, and I know they are and I know they are around me.”
The apology marks a significant step in addressing the tragedy and its impact on the victims and their families. While acknowledging that the apology cannot fully compensate for their loss and suffering, it represents a recognition of the state’s failure and a commitment to ensuring that such a tragedy never occurs again.
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– A previous finding in 1982, which suggested arson as the cause of the fire, was dismissed in 2009, leading to the latest inquests for the victims.
– The victims were aged from 16 to 27 and mostly came from the surrounding north Dublin area.
– Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald highlighted the spread of a “big lie” that the fire was caused by arson, which further traumatized the victims.
– The inquest jury found that the blaze was caused by an electrical fault in the hot press of the bar.
