Vigil held in Dublin to remember Stardust victims

"Wreaths were laid by members of the Dublin Fire Brigade, An Garda Siochana, the National Ambulance Service and the Irish army veterans. Claire Bird, the wife of the late broadcaster and supporter of the Stardust families Charlie Bird, also laid a wreath. Dublin Fire Brigade sirens were heard before the firefighters' pipe band played The Dawning Of The Day and Amazing Grace. A 48-second silence was held during the ceremony, before a minute's silence was held at the end."

"This week, the Government announced that survivors of the Stardust fire would be eligible for payments of 20,000 euro, under a 16.4 million euro scheme which the justice minister Jim O'Callaghan said "recognises the delays in providing truth and justice". A 24 million euro redress scheme for the families of those victims was completed in August. Gardai said its review team "continues to actively engage" with the Stardust families."

A 45th commemoration at the Stardust site in Artane honored the 48 people killed when a blaze tore through the nightclub on Valentine's Day 1981. Wreaths were laid by Dublin Fire Brigade, An Garda Siochana, the National Ambulance Service, Irish army veterans, and Claire Bird. The ceremony included pipe-band music and periods of silence. An inquest in 2024 found the 48 victims had been unlawfully killed, attributing the fire to an electrical fault in the hot press of the bar. Gardaí's Serious Crime Review Team is actively pursuing a review of the deaths. The Government announced survivor payments and a completed redress scheme for families.

Read at Irish Independent