Michael Barrett remembered at opening of Stardust inquest

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

Michael Barrett’s death in the Stardust fire was remembered at the Coroner’s Court inquest in Dublin on 25 April 2023, when his mother Gertrude read his pen portrait. The fire at the Stardust nightclub in Artane killed 48 young people on Valentine’s Day 1981.

Gertrude Barrett told the jury that Michael was 17, an apprentice plumber and an assistant DJ at the club that night. She described him as a loving son and brother who looked after his younger siblings.

She said the loss changed the lives of her three other children, then aged 10, 14 and 16, and that the effects of the fire continued to affect the family.

The inquest opened after a 42-year wait. Senior Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane said the lives of those who died would be at the heart of the proceedings.