The Stardust fire, which claimed 48 young lives, was one of the worst tragedies in the history of the State
February 13/14 1981:When the blaze broke out in the early hours of Valentine's Day, hundreds of revellers try to escape through fire exits, many of which were chained closed, while some windows were blocked by iron bars. Many people were crushed in the rush to get out, others died from inhaling poisonous gases.
November 1981:After 122 days, a tribunal of inquiry under Mr Justice Ronan Keane concludes
the blaze was probably caused by arson rather than accident, a finding contested by relatives ever since. Stardust owner Eamon Butterly later wins almost £600,000 in compensation from the State.
May 1985:John Keegan, whose daughters Martina and Mary died in the blaze, sets up the Stardust Victims' Committee.
November 1986:Mr Keegan died the day he lost a High Court case for his daughters being
denied the right to justice. For the next two decades the group campaigned for a new inquiry.
November 2003:An independent report by a researcher for the Stardust families, Geraldine
Foy, is given to the Department of Justice. They maintain it contains expert evidence which disputes findings of the original tribunal.
February 2006:The 25th anniversary of Stardust. Prime Time broadcasts a controversial programme based on Ms Foy's report. More than 200 relatives and friends of the Stardust victims begin a 13-week protest at site of the fire over plans by the nightclub's owner, Eamon Butterly, to open a pub at the site on the anniversary.
April 2006:The Stardust Committee presents a dossier of their findings entitled Nothing But The Truthto government.
December 2006:Former taoiseach Bertie Ahern announces an external independent examination of all evidence relating to the fire. The bodies of five victims, buried in a communal plot in St Fintan's Cemetery in Sutton, will be exhumed for identification.
June 2007:All five young men are identified with specialist DNA testing in Britain and given separate burials.
March 2008:Stardust families withdraw support from a government-organised review of new information, claiming chair John Gallagher SC had represented gardai at inquests into the deaths.
July 2008:Barrister Paul Coffey takes over the independent examination of files and hands the Government his report six months later.