Francis Kenny testified about Stardust fire exits and chains

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Former Stardust doorman Francis Kenny testified at the Dublin District Coroner’s Court inquest that chains were looped around exit door bars after the doors were unlocked, making them appear locked. The proceedings were reported on 15 June 2023.

Kenny was off duty on the night of the fire. When told of testimony that people were unable to escape through exits four and five because of chains, he said he was not there and did not know how the chains were positioned that night.

Kenny said he received no safety or fire evacuation training. He agreed that someone seeing a chained exit in an emergency could reasonably believe it was locked and seek another way out.

He said there was no system to check that doors had been opened as directed. Kenny also agreed the practice was unsafe, while saying he had never tested whether a door would open with the chain looped over its bar.

The inquest was examining the 1981 Stardust nightclub fire, which killed 48 people. The report said about 22 bodies were found near two exits; the inquest was due to continue the following day.