Courts / Dublin / Report

Stardust deemed a 'pretty horrendous' fire risk by insurance surveyor, inquest hears

Summary

During the inquest into the 1981 Stardust nightclub fire that killed 48 people, the jury heard that an insurance company's fire surveyor, Richard Williams, had deemed the building a "pretty horrendous" fire risk. Williams, who had worked for Hibernian Insurance from 1961 to 1997, declined to quote for fire insurance in 1979 after reading a fire survey. In 1981 he was appointed a fire surveyor and reported that the nightclub's new cold room, built with aluminium and polystyrene foam insulation, was highly combustible. He also noted that a push bar exit was chained and that walls were covered with polystyrene tiles and a false ceiling of polystyrene. Williams' testimony, read into the record, was to be continued the following day. The inquest also heard witness accounts of the fire's rapid spread, the difficulty of opening chained exits, and the chaotic crowd conditions a few weeks before the blaze.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Stardust deemed a 'pretty horrendous' fire risk by insurance surveyor, inquest hears. Procedural stage: trial

When:

• 1961 to 1997 Other
• 2023-11-22 Publication

Why: "The chain was wrapped around the release bar, I couldn't see if there was a padlock on it because I was in the dark, but I could feel the chain. CNI source report

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Trial

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Read the original CNI report