Sir, – It is of course correct that the families of the victims of the Stardust tragedy have been commended for their courage, stoicism and persistence in pursuing justice for their loved ones.
However, what appears to have been largely overlooked is the role played by the jury in arriving at their verdict.
The inquest sat for 122 days of hearings, and the jury were required to hear direct evidence for more than 90 days, some of which was quite harrowing.
At the end of the hearings the jury took a further 11 days to deliberate their findings.
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‘My 10-year-old is being ostracised by her group of friends. Should I email the other parents?’
They put a number of probing questions to the coroner to establish the scope of their deliberations.
At the end of this process, the jury, by a majority, were able to conclude that the deaths arising from the Stardust fire arose from unlawful killing.
We are all indebted to the seven women and five men of the jury for the diligence, rigour and attention they gave to the process spanning many months.
It would be remiss if thanks were not also extended to the coroner, Dr Myra Cullinane, for the exemplary manner in which she conducted the inquest. – Yours, etc,
PAUL WALSH,
Skerries,
Co Dublin.
