57: Stardust Nightclub

Causality

On Valentines Day in 1981 in the North of Dublin, Ireland a fire broke out in a nightclub just following a Disco Dancing competition. We look at how measures taken to prevent illegal entry and poor building material choices cost 48 young people their lives.
With John Chidgey.
Related Episodes:

• Causality Episode 43: Triangle Shirtwaist Factory

Formal Reports:

• Report of the Stardust Victims’ Compensation Tribunal (PDF)
• Report of the Tribunal of Inquiry on the fire at the Stardust

News Releases and Articles:

• Stardust: A timeline of the Tribunals, reports and inquests that led to this week’s verdict
• Stardust: Apology call after nightclub fire deaths verdict
• Stardust fire inquest of ‘paramount importance’
• A grim uncertainty that haunts Stardust families
• Stardust: Apology call after nightclub fire deaths verdict
• How Did The Stardust Fire Start?
• Stardust 30 Years On
• Stardust Verdict
• How tragedy unfolded at a Valentine’s disco
• Irish government makes official apology
• The night that started like any other
• Law Society of Ireland Gazette
• Stardust nightclub was pretty horrendous fire risk

Regulations:

• Fire Services Act, 1981, Section 37
• The Public Dance Halls Act, 1935 on JSTOR

General Information:

• Dublin Corporation
• Stardust Fire
• A History of the Fire Service in Ireland

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Episode Gold Producers: 'r', Steven Bridle and Kellen Frodelius-Fujimoto.
Episode Silver Producers: Mitch Biegler, Shane O'Neill, Jared Roman, Katharina Will, Chad Juehring and Ian Gallagher.
With thanks to Aileen Brennan for the topic suggestion.