Courts / Ireland / Report

Stardust survivor confirms doorman said he'd found exits chained and locked

Summary

During the 1981 Stardust nightclub fire, survivor James Feery described flames advancing along walls and ceilings like a flamethrower, causing smoke to fill the hallway to an exit. He recalled hearing a shout of "Fire" and seeing people panic toward the main door while bouncers fought the blaze with extinguishers. Feery reported that exit doors three, four, five and six were chained and locked, as told by former doorman Noel Quigley, and that furniture was stacked against some doors. He described the front door being shut, the hall filling with fumes, and people collapsing. When the doors finally opened, a surge of smoke was sucked out, and Feery was pushed out into the street, where he saw others with burnt clothing and cars passing by. The inquest heard additional witness statements describing the fire's spread and the chaos inside the club. The hearing continues tomorrow at the Rotunda Hospital.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Stardust survivor confirms doorman said he'd found exits chained and locked. Procedural stage: trial

When:

• February 14, 1981 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2023-12-13 Publication

Why: "There was panic all over the place, and there were a lot of people in the hall, but nobody could get out, so everyone was getting jammed in the hall because the main doors were locked. CNI source report

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Trial

Read the original CNI report