They never came home.

Each article written about the Stardust disaster has been taken from the angle of a nation that had to suffer the emotional scars from the aftermath. Parents crushed as they buried their children, one baby left orphaned as a result and a community so strained under the pressure of seeking justice that it leads to the ruination of many families. Having read so many reports it has become blatantly clear that the nightclub should never have been opened in the first place. The Stardust Nightclub was dangerous places that ultimately lead to the death of 48 innocent young people.


In the early 70’s budding entrepreneur Patrick Butterly began his long battle in the North Dublin area with the city’s planning authority to have a once productive jam factory be converted into a thriving entertainment complex comprising of a pub, function rooms and cabaret venue. Throughout the 70’s Butterly would apply many time to the local authorities and he would be declined due to blatant lack of safety regulations on the premises. This however, all changed in 1975 when the local planning authorities granted him permission to create a somewhat social district, Butterly claimed that this would play a pivotal role in creating morale among the community and bringing about a social chnge in time for the city to raise above the economical lull it can been victim to throughout the early 70’s. Political change was already a foot with local Politician Charles Haughey taking over as Taoiseach from Jack Lynch in 1979.


It would seem that Patrick Butterly’s dream of creating some kind of social buzz would be welcomed by all. The ”Stardust” night club opened in However, prior and during the opening of the Butterly premises it would seem that things were not up to the standard hoped by the corporation inspectors, who paid the night clubs up to 24 visits in 1980 alone. With each inspection worrying results to be found; loose tables obstructing the exits, fire exit doors that did not open the appropriate amount and defective light bulbs in the emergency lighting system. However, bizarrely enough none of these problems led to the Stardust being shut down. Patrick Butterly claims he was not aware that all the exits must be unlocked at all times, but he also claimed that as soon as every regulatory lack was brought to his attention they were rectified immediately.


Mr. Butterly’s business savvy and community loyalty was not the reason that the Stardust remained open to the public, it was perhaps convenient at the time of each safety investigation that he was canvassing for local politicians during the pre-election events. It has to be said that his involvement in the political rallies in the area were probably highly beneficial to each of the inspections being ignored by the local authorities.


The buzz outside the Stardust on the eve of Valentines Day was contagious for each of the young people waiting to get inside. As they waited to pay they did not pay heed to the chain fire exit doors or the steel plates covering every single toilet window in the building. They were looking forward to the romantic encounters that would be found inside and the ensuing excitement of maybe meeting someone special before midnight. However, it seems none of these people would forget their night, all for the wrong reasons.