Courts / Ireland / Report

Stardust barman praised for his efforts to evacuate patrons

Summary

During the 2023 inquest into the Stardust nightclub fire, former barman Colm O'Toole, aged 20 at the time, recounted his attempts to extinguish a growing blaze and evacuate patrons. He described using a fire extinguisher that only seemed to spread the flames, noting the heat rose from a moderate level to a high intensity as a shutter was raised. O'Toole said he tried to direct people toward an exit in the dispense bar, but many did not hear him. He also reported that the smoke became very dense and he was unable to breathe. O'Toole had no fire training and said the club had no fire‑control plan. He claimed that after about three minutes he shifted focus from fighting the fire to helping people leave the building. The testimony was presented to the tribunal by lawyers representing the families of the deceased. The record contains no further legal conclusions or outcomes.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Stardust barman praised for his efforts to evacuate patrons. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

When:

• 2023-06-30 Publication

Why: " Mr O'Toole became upset as he said they went around to the front because they realised not everyone had been able to get out. CNI source report

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Hearing Or Decision

Read the original CNI report