Maurice and Phyllis McHugh tell inquest of Stardust guilt

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

Maurice and Phyllis McHugh told the Coroner’s Court in Dublin on 16 May 2023 that they regretted allowing their daughter Caroline to stay in Dublin while they travelled to a family wedding in Manchester.

They said they felt guilty about the decision and hoped the inquest would bring closure after 42 years of waiting for justice and truth.

Caroline was 17 when she died in the 1981 Stardust fire; her parents described her as an avid reader, Irish dancer and keen swimmer.

The couple said they often wondered whether Caroline had called for them as the fire burned, and imagined the life she might have had.