Just before 1.30 a.m. on February 14th, 1981, the record Born To Be Alive was coming to an end at the Stardust disco in Dublin's Artane.

The winners of the night's disco-dancing competition were invited to give a demonstration on the main stage and while most of the 846 young people were watching or dancing, the attention of some was drawn to a small fire which had started on seats in a sectioned-off area.

Some thought it was a special lighting effect. At 1.41 a song by Adam and the Ants was playing as the flames were spreading to other seats. Three minutes later flames were at ceiling level in the alcove and the false ceiling there collapsed.

By 1.44 flames filled the western alcove, licking up the carpet-tiled walls and spreading to the main ballroom. Black smoke filled the ballroom as the ceiling tiles there seemed to "explode". At 1.45 the ceiling collapsed and the lights failed. What followed was "complete panic".

The seats in the venue were stuffed with polyurethane, which when lit can raise room temperatures to 1,500 degrees fahrenheit in under a minute. The tables were of plywood covered in red plastic.

By 1.46 the majority of people had made for the main exit. One of the exits was locked, two more were obstructed by skips or tables and others, while open, appeared locked because chains had been draped across the bars. This was deliberate and done on the instructions of the Stardust owner, Mr Eamon Butterly, to discourage people opening the exits from the inside to let friends in.

At 1.49 the whole ballroom was an inferno, flames were at the outer doors. The first fire appliance arrived at 1.51. In the eight minutes since one of the barmen called 999, 46 people had been killed and 214 had been injured. Two more were to die of their injuries. Five of the bodies were so badly burnt they could not be identified. Now 38, Pauline Brady recounted seeing "three girls with their hair ablaze. They were so shocked they didn't know what they were doing".

The parish priest at the time was Father Heber McMahon. Called from his bed to the scene, he said the first sight that greeted him was of people trapped in the toilets at the front of the building. "The firemen outside were trying to break through the window but were having a terrible time." The windows, on the orders of Mr Butterly, had been covered with metal grilles as a security measure.

Third officer of the Dublin Fire Brigade Mr Joe Kiernan said that when he arrived just before 2 a.m. the circumstances warranted the implementation of the Major Accident Plan, Stage 1. However, once he saw the number of bodies he ordered implementation of Stage 2.

Now retired, he says he rests easy that no one died after the arrival of the first fire appliance. "When we were able to go in, it was obvious that the majority had died of smoke inhalation. A large number of the bodies were actually still at tables, collapsed over them," he said.

The injuries, highlighted by the Stardust Victims' Compensation Tribunal five years later, included burns which left survivors with "crippling disabilities" and "very significant cosmetic disfigurement"; damage to throat and lungs caused by black smoke which could "do more damage than a lifetime smoking cigarettes"; damage to vocal cords, leaving victims able to speak only "at a whisper"; and skin rashes such as psoriasis.

Post-traumatic stress syndrome characterised by feelings of guilt, claustrophobia, agoraphobia, nightmares, alcoholism, depression and in a few cases, suicide, was suffered by victims and families.

Thomas McDermott, a fireman who lost two sons and a daughter, died two years after their deaths. His death is attributed by Raheny neighbours to "heartbreak".

Within five days of the disaster the Oireachtas passed a resolution establishing a tribunal of inquiry into the fire. It began its sittings under the chairmanship of Mr Justice Ronan Keane on March 2nd, finishing on November 26th, 1981. It found, first, that the fire had started in a cordoned-off alcove of banked seating. It was most probably started deliberately.

It went on to find the owner of the Stardust, Mr Butterly, had acted "with a reckless disregard for the safety of the people on the premises" by, among other things, keeping exit doors locked and/or obstructed; using carpet tiles on the walls in breach of fire regulations; failing to comply with public resort bylaws; and failure to use fire-resistant wall linings. It also found no member of staff had had fire-safety training. A 633-page file was compiled by gardai at Coolock and sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions. Although it made no recommendations on charging anyone with responsibility for the fire, it clearly stated that the Stardust was selling intoxicating liquor "without being duly licensed to sell", that liquor was sold "to a number of persons under the age of 18" by people "under 18 years of age". Anyone who does any of these, says the file "should be guilty of an offence".

Numerous parties were at fault for the fire and its toll that night. Although the Butterly family is held to bear the greatest responsibility by the families, Dublin Corporation was also to blame for its failure to take the necessary steps to ensure the building and public resort by-laws applied to the Stardust building.

The by-laws were, however, treated as applicable by all those concerned with inspecting and vetting the building. But the owners were granted a licence under the Public Dance Hall Act 1935. They were effectively enabled to proceed with dangerous building and decorating plans.

The corporation took no action when breaches of the by-laws were found in relation to locking exits.

The fire prevention department of Dublin Fire Brigade did not appreciate the unsuitably small entrance hall when inspecting the building's design, and on the night there were serious shortcomings evident in the training and organisation of the fire-service men, although their individual bravery was commended.

The only charge that arose out of the disaster was against John Keegan, who lost two daughters in the Stardust, for assault on Mr Butterly.

Mr Butterly, who is now the director of several companies, including Scotts Food Processing Ltd and the Butterly Business Park, did not return any phone calls made to him by The Irish Times this week.