Stardust: Lives of 48 people who died in fire ‘must be vindicated’, corner says as inquest opens

The lives of the 48 young people who died in the 1981 Stardust disaster “must be vindicated” and will be central to their inquests which got under way on Tuesday, Dublin coroner Dr Myra Cullinane has said.

Speaking in the historic Pillar Room, on the grounds of the Rotunda hospital, which will be the venue of the inquests for an anticipated six months, she said the proceedings were “long awaited”.

As she spoke, the families of two victims – Michael Barrett (17) and Caroline Bissett (18) – prepared to read the first “pen-portraits” of the Stardust fire inquests, and the first read at an inquest in Ireland.

Dr Cullinane explained the 48 pen portraits, which will be read over the coming weeks, will underline the “centrality of the deceased and the families to this inquest” and allows the families to “publicly commemorate those who died”. They would enable them also to describe the long-term impact of the tragedy on their and their families’ lives, helping jurors and the public to “picture the young people as they were at the time of the fire”.

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She said: “It is their lives that must be vindicated.” The portraits are not part of the formal evidence but a “special testimony” from families, and will be read into the record in alphabetical order.

There was raw emotion as Gertrude Barrett stood at a lectern by Dr Cullinane to read her pen portrait of her son. A photo of the boy, smiling broadly, wearing a grey jumper and black leather jacket, his dark brown hair tousled, was on a screen behind her.

“Michael was a son, a brother, a grandson, a nephew, a cousin, a friend and a neighbour. He was the eldest of four children. He had one sister and two brothers,” she said. “He was a great son, a kind son. We had a very close mother/son relationship.”

He was an apprentice plumber, was interested in DJing, as well as soccer and Gaelic football. He had a “wicked sense of humour” and an “infectious laugh”. He was optimistic and positive about his life, ambitious and with clear plans and dreams to perhaps own his own business, she said.

Betty Bissett, describing the impact of the loss of her daughter Carol on her family, said she was “put on very strong medication”. She was not able to look after her other children and wider family had to step in.

“I lost my child and couldn’t be there for the rest. I meet her schoolfriends with their children and I never stop wondering where would she be in her life today. Would she have had children?” Her daughter Liz, reading a poem expressing the impact losing her older sister had on her, became upset as she finished and was assisted back to her seat.

Both Ms Barrett and the Bissetts received standing ovations after their portraits were read.

Antoinette Keegan, who survived the fire but lost her sisters Mary (19) and Martina (16) said it was “very, very emotional but very beautiful” to hear the pen portraits.

“For the first time in 42 years we are being heard, our loved ones are being recognised as real people, in an official setting, recognised as loved daughters, brothers, sons and sisters. It is a brilliant day, a massive day.”

Many families had suppressed the pain now being expressed for four decades, she added. “This is every family, the suffering we have gone through. We have not even grieved for Mary and Martina. But I’m feeling very positive today.”