Building fires

Fire: The Stardust Night Club.

A total of 48 people died in the fire

Valentines 1981

One of the worst fires in Ireland – The videos show how a fire develops and can flash over, then the films bring together a history of events and failings that investigate how such fires occur and the situations and failings of people that lead to them being fatal. Questions are raised regarding arson and electrical faults.

841 people had attended a disco, forty-eight died and 214 were injured as a result of the fire.

The fire was first noticed inside the building at 01:41 on the morning during a night club party. The fire was claimed to have started in a slashed seat, possibly from a cigarette, which may have ignited the foam beneath, however there is a question of arson, which has not been ruled out by investigators.

Those within the building, at two unrelated functions, disco and trade union meeting, were hampered by a number of obstructions when trying to escape from the building. Some of the main fire exits were locked with padlocks and chains. Other fire exits had chains draped over the push bars. Some people attempted to escape through the men’s toilets but the windows there had metal plates fixed on the inside and iron bars on the outside.

BRE Video – example of flashover and how a fire develops

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeLKVFC27-0&feature=related

Stardust Disco.Primetime Investigates Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rlaTBd1W3w&feature=related

Stardust Disco.Primetime Investigates Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBaFiK8Vn30&feature=related

Critical enquiry into the fire

A Stardust Story The Keegan Family From Coolock Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1XW_q995dY

Film –reconstruction

StardustDublin1981 part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdCXxyNzqE8&feature=related