Courts / Dublin / Report

Stardust patron tells inquest door was locked when he tried to leave

Summary

Lorcan Doody, 18, told the inquest that the Stardust's outside door was locked when he tried to leave at about 1 a.m. He said a bouncer at the door had no key and they had to wait until a second man returned with a key, a delay of roughly three minutes. Doody described a brief power cut around midnight that lasted about ten seconds, during which the DJ commented on Friday the 13th. He and friends left at 1 a.m., noting shutters were down and the bouncer had only partially lifted them, requiring them to duck. Doody also mentioned seeing a young man, aged 18‑23, looking in a window as they left; Gardaí later identified him as a homeless person the kitchen staff had fed. Paul James Shortall, 20, recounted leaving at 1:40 a.m., seeing emergency exit doors burst open and a black‑smoke cloud, and later witnessing flames from the roof.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Stardust patron tells inquest door was locked when he tried to leave. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

When:

• 2023-06-13 Publication

Why: He said he was panicking because he was told he had to have the car he was using back by 1. CNI source report

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Hearing Or Decision

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Read the original CNI report