Courts / Dublin / Report

Fire extinguisher empty on inspections before Stardust fire, inquest hears

Date
2023-06-07

Stage
Trial

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

During the 1980–81 inspection period, Henry Armstrong of Chubb Fire & Security Ireland Limited reported that several fire extinguishers at the Stardust nightclub were empty each time he inspected them. He noted that eight water‑based extinguishers were in service, with three empty, and six CO₂ units, with three empty, all of which he refilled. Armstrong confirmed that the extinguishers were fully filled when he left the premises in October 1980. He also explained that one extinguisher, located in the hall outside the kitchen, was consistently empty because the chef would use it for small fires and then leave it on the wall. The jury heard that the club's management had not been informed about the potential inaccessibility of four extinguishers when curtains were drawn down, and that the responsibility for staff training lay with the owners.