Stardust survivor tells inquests: ‘I cannot believe I survived ... we were trapped like rats’

A Stardust survivor who was badly burnt in the 1981 nightclub inferno walked back into the noxious smoke in an attempt to “knock [himself] out” as he believed he was going to die.

Anthony Byrne, 23 and a member of the Defence Forces at the time of the disaster, told Dublin Coroner’s Court on Friday that there were about 15 people “going mad punching and kicking the door” when he got to exit 4, at the side of the ballroom. It was chained and locked, he told the court.

“I told them to get away from the door and I would open it.” He did “a lot of exercise in the army” and was “fairly strong”.

“I caught the bar and I tried to force it up towards the ceiling. The bar moved a little but the door would not open. The door did not open any bit and I could not say what stopped the door from opening.. There was panic at the door and I thought I was going to be killed, I walked into the smoke to knock myself out,” he said.

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He got to exit 5, also at the side of the venue. “I cannot believe I survived ... We were trapped like rats,” he said. His Garda statement, taken at the Mater hospital on the evening after the fire, notes he was “unable to sign because of injuries”.

Mr Byrne was one of six survivors giving evidence on Friday at fresh inquests into the deaths of 48 people, aged 16 to 27, who died in a fire in a north Dublin nightclub in the early hours of February 14th, 1981.

Siobhán McConalogue, 16 at the time, described going to help a person lying on grass outside the venue after she had escaped, and realising he was dead.

“There was a lot of people around. I was trying to help somebody but I didn’t realise they already had passed. They were lying on the grass.” She said the person on the ground was a male, but she could not recall how they were dressed. She said a “lot of people were left lying” in a grass area at the front of the Stardust site.

Brian Baitson, 18 at the time, also described a “chain” across the push-bar at emergency exit 4. He believed he was there at an early point after the blaze was seen, as he is claustrophobic and he went to leave immediately on realising there was a fire.

He saw a girl whose clothes were “in flames” he said. “Her blouse was in flames ... she was actually running. I couldn’t tell you who she was or if she got out.”

When he got out he saw two fire brigade vehicles obstructed from getting to the side of the venue by a security barrier. “All the people pulled it out of the way. There was a good number of people pulling it. I think there were 20 or 30 people involved.”

Ann Keogh, 17 at the time, described a “crush” as she and friends attempted to get out through exit 5, at the side of the ballroom.

“I remember when we got to the doors there was a good few people in front of me ... pushing to get out. Then the smoke just builds everywhere and then you try to take a breath, all you’re inhaling is smoke.

“Then all of a sudden the door was open and you were going out. It was like as if a gust of wind had come in. It was thick black smoke and then you were going out to that.” The smoke had “burned” her throat.

Asked about the speed of the spread of flame across the ceiling she said: “It was as if someone had put petrol over the top of [the ceiling] and lit a match and it flew.”

Catherine Murphy, whose age at the time was not given in court, “fell over seats” near exit 4 as she and two friends ran to escape. “Smoke was everywhere. The lights were gone and it was complete pitch darkness”. People were “falling over” her. Her friend came back got her to her feet by grabbing her trousers.

Among those she was there with on the night was Jacqueline Croker (19) from Kilmore West, who perished. Ms Murphy said she last saw her before she went to dance. “She didn’t want to get up. She said she’d stay and look after the coats and bags.”

The inquests resume on November 7th.