Michael O’Toole gives Stardust inquest evidence on locked doors

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

Michael O’Toole gave evidence about locked emergency doors at Dublin District Coroner’s Court on 10 November 2023, during the Stardust inquests into the 48 deaths.

O’Toole said doorman Michael Kavanagh told him after the fire that people inside could not get out because the doors were padlocked. He recalled Kavanagh taking keys from his pocket while speaking; O’Toole believed they belonged to the club.

The inquest had previously heard that Kavanagh initially told gardaí and journalists he had opened the fire exits, then withdrew that account. He later acknowledged lying about opening the doors and said he did not know who had opened them.

O’Toole lived about 60 yards from the club and said he was woken by his father at 1.38am. He described seeing flames rising from the roof after arriving at the scene.