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50-506: The Stardust fire was a fatal fire which took place at the Stardust nightclub in Artane , Dublin , Ireland , in the early hours of 14 February (Valentine's Day) 1981. More than 800 people were attending a disco there, of whom 48 died and 214 were injured as a result of the fire; in later years suicides of survivors and family members were also linked to the event. The club was located in what

100-445: A docu-drama about the disaster entitled Stardust , to mark the 25th anniversary of the incident. The series was based on the book They Never Came Home: The Stardust Story by Neil Fetherstonhaugh and Tony McCullagh. Many families of victims objected to this and were upset by the painful memories it brought up. Reasons for objection included the depiction of the fire and a perceived focus on some key families, which some felt portrayed

150-495: A "beak" that was only about one inch across. The shape meant that drivers needed to be accurate, and spot where the spike hit was often not much larger than a small coin, as anything larger would hit the plate or the sleeper. The curved head kept the handle away from the rail, as the spikes were driven with the rail between the spike and the driver. These are often called spike mauls . A drilling hammer , club hammer , lump hammer , crack hammer , mini-sledge or thor hammer

200-589: A candlelight vigil was held at the Stardust grounds. In July 1985, Irish folk singer Christy Moore was found guilty of contempt of court after writing and releasing a song, titled "They Never Came Home", about the plight of the victims, seemingly damning the owners of the nightclub and the government. The song was released on the Ordinary Man album and as the B-side of a single in 1985. The song claimed, "hundreds of children are injured and maimed, and all just because

250-463: A correction of the public record and the original arson conclusion was removed as the cause, due to there being no evidence to suggest that the fire was started maliciously. In June 2018, a campaign was launched to gather signatures on postcards supporting an appeal to the Attorney General of Ireland to finalise the coroner's reports on the deaths of the 48 killed in the fire. On 25 September 2019,

300-512: A one-hour episode of a TV series where survivors of the fire and relatives of some of the 48 people who died were interviewed by Charlie Bird . Bird had been the journalist to the scene of the fire in 1981. On 2 February 2022, TG4 interviewed Lisa Lawlor on their show Finné. Her parents died in the fire when she was just 17 months old. 53°23′03″N 6°12′52″W  /  53.38417°N 6.21444°W  / 53.38417; -6.21444 Structure fire Structure fires typically have

350-603: A relatively small area. The word sledgehammer is derived from the Old-English " slægan ", which, in its first sense, means "to strike violently". The English words "slag", "slay", and "slog" are cognates . The handle can range from 50 centimetres (1 ft 8 in) to a full 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) long, depending on the mass of the head. The head mass is usually 1 to 9 kilograms (2.2 to 19.8 lb). Modern heavy duty sledgehammers come with 10-to-20-pound (4.5–9.1 kg) heads. Sledgehammers usually require two hands and

400-482: A separate tribunal, called the Victims Compensation Tribunal, was headed by Judge Donal Barrington , solicitor Noel Smith and barrister (now Judge) Hugh O'Flaherty, to focus on monetary compensation for the victims and their families. The three men wrote an opinion after hearing testimony from survivors, victims' family members and friends and coworkers, which called the treatment of the victims after

450-457: A similar response from the fire department that include engines , ladder trucks, rescue squads , chief officers, and an EMS unit, each of which will have specific initial assignments. The actual response and assignments will vary between fire departments. It is not unusual for some fire departments to have a predetermined mobilization plan for when a fire incident is reported in certain structures in their area. This plan may include mobilizing

500-499: A swinging motion involving the entire torso , in contrast to smaller hammers used for driving in nails . The combination of a long swinging range, and heavy head, increases the force of the resulting impact. Sledgehammers are often used in demolition work, for breaking through drywall or masonry walls . Sledgehammers were formerly widely used in mining operations, particularly hand steel , but are rarely used in modern mining. Sledgehammers are also used when substantial force

550-408: A wedge, or straightening all that is bent. Post mauls are similar to sledgehammers in shape, but are meant to drive wooden fence posts or tree stakes into the earth. Newer mauls have broad, flat circular faces that are significantly larger in diameter than the body of the head (where the handle attaches). Older post mauls are significantly larger than sledgehammers like their newer counterparts except

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600-610: A €24 million redress package for the Stardust families. The owners, the Butterly family, pursued a claim for compensation against the city because of the arson finding, and were eventually awarded IR£ 580,000. The aftermath led to a huge number of recommendations being made in relation to fire safety . Comparisons were made to the Summerland disaster of 1973 in the Isle of Man and the lessons learned in that jurisdiction. On 18 September 1993,

650-412: Is a tool with a large, flat, often metal head, attached to a long handle. The long handle combined with a heavy head allows the sledgehammer to gather momentum during a swing and apply a large force compared to hammers designed to drive nails. Along with the mallet , it shares the ability to distribute force over a wide area. This is in contrast to other types of hammers , which concentrate force in

700-473: Is a small sledgehammer whose relatively light weight and short handle allow one-handed use. It is useful for light demolition work, driving masonry nails, and for use with a steel chisel when cutting stone or metal. In this last application, its weight drives the chisel more deeply into the material being cut than lighter hammers. Club hammers are common on the British inland waterways for driving mooring pins into

750-460: Is necessary to dislodge a trapped object (often in farm or oil field work), or for fracturing concrete. Another common use is for driving fence posts into the ground. Sledgehammers are used by police forces in raids on property to gain entry by force, commonly through doors. They were and still are commonly used by blacksmiths to shape heavy sections of iron. The British SAS counter terrorist team used sledgehammers to gain access to rooms during

800-510: Is no evidence of an accidental origin: and equally no evidence that the fire was started deliberately" instead of that of arson (which led to the Butterlys' compensation). Following its publication, the Dáil voted on the evening of 3 February 2009 to acknowledge that the arson finding was hypothetical and that none of those present at the Stardust nightclub can be held responsible for the blaze. This led to

850-563: The Mater , Jervis Street and Dr Steevens' Hospitals . Family members of victims stated there was no organised transport or support shortly after the fire. They were aided by taxi drivers who waived their fares for the families and were met by ill-prepared Gardaí at the city morgue. The fatalities included 48 people in total; 46 in the fire and two later on, with the last recorded death occurring on 11 March 1981, and 214 injured. The ages of those who were killed ranged from 16 to 26, and in 23 cases

900-588: The Stardust Memorial Park in Bonnybrook, Coolock, Dublin was officially opened by then Lord Mayor of Dublin, Tomas MacGiolla . In 2006, the leaseholder and manager of the Stardust at the time of the fire, Eamon Butterly, planned to re-open licensed premises on the site of the Stardust on the 25th anniversary. Described as "insensitive", this action occasioned protests by the victims' families and their supporters. The protests lasted for 10 weeks and ended when

950-500: The 1980 Iranian Embassy Siege . However, today they use a tool called a "dynamic hammer". Another use of sledgehammers is for driving railroad spikes into wooden sleepers during rail construction. When the two ends of the Union Pacific railroad were joined at Promontory, Utah , Leland Stanford hammered a golden spike into a sleeper with a silver hammer. Sledges used to drive spikes for rails had curved heads that came down to

1000-604: The Attorney General confirmed that fresh inquests would be held into the deaths. The inquests into the 48 deaths began at Dublin District Coroners Court in April 2023. On the first day, there was discussion about the appropriate order in which to call witnesses. On 18 April 2024, the jury of the inquest returned a majority verdict of unlawful killing of all 48 people. On 9 August 2024 the Government of Ireland signed off on

1050-469: The Butterly family agreed to erect a memorial on the site, and change the name of the pub from "The Silver Swan" to the "Artane House". The name "The Silver Swan" was the name of a pub attached to the nightclub, and so was rejected by the protestors. On 13 February 2011, there was an afternoon Mass at Saint Joseph's Church in Coolock and a wreath was placed at the Stardust Memorial Park . The following evening,

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1100-546: The Stardust Victims Committee for a Reopened Inquiry into the Stardust Fire Disaster. Due to the passage of time and lack of physical evidence, the examination's report stated that it would not be in the public interest to reopen the public inquiry, but that the public record should be altered to reflect paragraph 6.167 of the original inquiry- "The cause of fire is not known and may never be known. There

1150-556: The Stardust building to inform the fire brigade of a small fire six inches (150 mm) high on a seat in the ballroom in the west section of the building. A young man named Peter O'Toole made a phone call to the Gardaí at Dublin Castle at 1:42   am to report a handbag theft. The call was terminated by O'Toole as the first alarm of fire was given to the people in the foyer. The call was as follows: Gardaí: Hello, yes, hello. O'Toole: I'm at

1200-578: The Stardust disco. Can you hear me? Gardaí: Yes. O'Toole: And my girlfriend's handbag was robbed. Gardaí: Your girlfriend's handbag was robbed? O'Toole: She's the manageress in the shoe shop in Northside Shopping Centre . Gardaí: Wait now would you....Stardust? O'Toole: Yes, I'm in the Stardust disco, discothèque, and my girlfriend's bag went missing, someone's after taking it. Can you hear me? Gardaí: Yes. O'Toole: Can you hear me? Gardaí: And where were you... where were...

1250-434: The deceased were the eldest and sole breadwinner for their families. Most of the dead came from Artane, Kilmore and greater Coolock, and half of the deceased were aged 18 or younger, with four aged 16 and eight aged 17. The fire was subsequently linked to the attempted suicides of about 25 people. The families of the victims and survivors fought in the courts for compensation, accountability, and justice. Victim compensation at

1300-428: The disaster as only impacting a select few. An edition of Prime Time , RTÉ's current affairs programme, broadcast on 14 February 2006, cast doubts on some of the findings of the original tribunal. The programme produced witnesses who were outside the building on the night. Some outside saw fire coming from the roof up to eight minutes before those inside did. New evidence concerning the building's contents and layout

1350-528: The families of the deceased, and survivors. No charges were ever brought against any party for the causing of the fire or the loss of life. After reviews, and years of campaigning, in 2019 it was announced that fresh inquests would take place for the 48 victims, and these commenced in 2023. In 2024 the Dublin District Coroners Court found, in a majority verdict, that all 48 people died as a result of unlawful killing . The Stardust Memorial Park

1400-403: The finding. Despite making the arson finding, the inquiry was damning in its criticism of the safety standards. Keane criticised the Butterlys and the management of the Stardust for "recklessly dangerous practices" when it was discovered that some emergency exit doors had been locked on the night of the fire; nonetheless, no one was ever prosecuted or successfully sued for these practices. In 1986

1450-418: The fire 'neglect' as many had received no medical support. In 2009, four relatives of those who had died held a sit-in in a security hut at Government Buildings . They were asking the government to publish a report that examined the need to open a new investigation into the disaster. Following these protests, the government commissioned an independent examination by Paul Coffey SC of the case submitted by

1500-467: The fire exits were chained". Mr Justice Murphy ordered the Ordinary Man album to be withdrawn from the shops, and costs were awarded against Moore. "Another Song Is Born" was recorded for the album's re-release. "They Never Came Home" later appeared on his box set and on the album Where I Come From . In 2006, Ireland's national broadcaster, Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ), caused controversy by producing

1550-475: The fire in different locations and times within the nightclub. There were 841 patrons gathered in the nightclub for the St Valentines eve disco event, and the owners had been given a Special Exemption Order to serve alcohol between 11   pm and 2   am. In order for the exemption to be given the event was billed as a "dinner dance". The fire outbreak is believed to have derived from an electrical fault in

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1600-616: The fire started in the roof space where the storeroom was located and had already spread across the main nightclub roof space area before those inside were aware of it. In early 2011, close to the 30th anniversary of the fire, a documentary was aired on TV3 . The documentary, titled Remembering Stardust: 30 Years On , reflected on the events of the night of the fire, the aftermath and the various controversies and legal proceedings that followed. Survivors Jimmy Fitzpatrick and Antoinette Keegan along with retired Dublin fireman Paul Shannon were among those interviewed. In December 2017, RTÉ broadcast

1650-464: The front elevation remains to this day but the remnants of the nightclub section have since been demolished. Initially, the cause of the fire was not conclusively determined; an initial determination of arson was later found to have been one of a number of hypotheses, and unproveable. Due to the arson finding, and despite criticism of safety points, the owners of the building claimed and received public compensation, and were not liable to civil action from

1700-789: The guards , where will you meet the guards? O'Toole: Pardon? Gardaí: What's your name... what is your name? O'Toole: Hello? Gardaí: What is your name? O'Toole: [ screams in background, caller hung up ]" Ambulances from Dublin Fire Brigade, the Eastern Health Board , Dublin Civil Defence , the Red Cross , the Order of Malta Ambulance Corps , St John Ambulance Ireland and the Airport Fire Rescue Service were dispatched to

1750-440: The metal bars using a chain attached to a fire engine , but were unsuccessful. The failure of the lighting in the club led to widespread panic, causing mass trampling as many of the patrons instinctively ran for the main entrance. Many people mistook the entrance to the men's toilets for the main entrance doors, with responding firemen locating between 25 and 30 of those trapped in the front toilets. A survivor recounted later that in

1800-524: The nearest aerial firefighting vehicle to a tower block, or a foam -carrying vehicle to structures known to contain certain hazardous chemicals . In the United States, according to NFPA , structures are divided into five construction types based on the severity of the fire hazard: In a recent study, conducted by American Survey CO, for the period of 2005–2010, the causes of house fires across America were as follows: Sledgehammer A sledgehammer

1850-409: The panic he watched people run in different directions in the pandemonium, and that after evacuating the building he returned and helped others evacuate before tripping and being trampled. The fire was first spotted by numerous people outside the building, including a woman 200 metres away from the Stardust, who quickly called the fire brigade. Within minutes of her call, two calls were made from inside

1900-593: The premises into an amenity centre, consisting of a bar, The Silver Swan, a function room, The Lantern Rooms, and a nightclub, The Stardust. The club premises consisted of a dance floor, a stage, two bars and two seating alcoves, the North Alcove and the West Alcove. There were also tables and chairs on the dance floor area. The West Alcove area had enough seats for at least 280 people. The fire occurred on 14 February 1981 around 1:30   am, with multiple patrons noticing

1950-498: The roof tiles, emerging into the nightclub's West Alcove, a banked seating area. The fire descended onto the backrest and the top of a seating bench, which was covered in PVC-coated polyester fabric. The incident was first noticed by a patron seated in front of the West Alcove, who observed a rise in temperature but did not detect any smoke. The fire then spread to tables and chairs, and patrons noticed smoke and smelled burning. The fire

2000-426: The room beside the roof space. This non-planning-permission-compliant first-floor storage room contained dangerously flammable materials, including 45   five-gallon (23 litre) drums of cooking oil. Staff observed a small fire outbreak on a seat in an alcove behind a curtain and they attempted to extinguish it but failed. The blaze reportedly originated from the storeroom and spread to the roof. The flames breached

2050-423: The scene.The first fire engine responded around 1.51   am and responders discovered bodies piled on top of each other inside the doors. Many ambulances left the scene carrying up to 15 casualties. CIÉ also sent buses to transport the injured, and local radio stations asked people in the vicinity with cars to come to the club. The city's hospitals were overwhelmed by the influx of injured and dying, in particular

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2100-409: The store and lamp rooms were located in the roof space on the first floor. The list of contents of the store was not put before the inquiry and included large amounts of flammable materials, including polishes and floor waxes, with the inquiry assuming only normal everyday items were inside. A re-enactment of the fire suggested that it did not happen as the tribunal had found. The programme theorised that

2150-479: The time reported that the fire was arson . A tribunal of inquiry under Justice Ronan Keane , which held its first public meeting 12 days after the fire, concluded in November 1981 that the fire was probably caused by arson . This finding, which was disputed at the time and since, legally exonerated the Butterlys from responsibility. The finding of arson was dismissed in 2009, as there was never any evidence to support

2200-586: The time was a total of £10.4 million paid to 823 individuals; five individuals received £100,000 or more, 24 received slightly more than £50,000 and the majority of individuals received between £5,000 and £10,000. Parents who lost a child in the disaster received a maximum of £7,500. In 2007, the bodies of five victims who had been unable to be identified were exhumed from a communal plot in St. Fintan's Cemetery, Sutton . The remains were identified with modern DNA analysis, and then given separate burials. The investigation at

2250-508: The towpath or canal bank. Scouts BSA has adopted the shorter sledgehammer, commonly referred to as an engineer's hammer, as an unofficial tool referred to as the scout hammer, as a complement to the pocket knife and hand axe. The handle is 12–18 inches (30–46 cm) long with a head weighing 2 to 6 lb (0.91–2.72 kg). The hammer is used for a variety of purposes such as driving tent stakes, establishing temporary fencing using wood or metal rebar, splitting wood in conjunction with

2300-595: Was a small fire and requested a calm evacuation. The attendees at a trade union function taking place in the same building escaped, but the escape of the Stardust patrons was hampered by a number of obstructions. Of the five emergency exit doors, most were either locked by padlock or chains or blocked by tables or vehicles outside in order to prevent individuals sneaking in. The windows were sealed with metal grilles and steel plates, which were unable to be removed by sledgehammers , axes, and even tow-ropes from individuals outside attempting to help. Firemen attempted to pull off

2350-408: Was also presented. Other details presented included the actual location of a storeroom containing flammable materials and cleaning agents. The plan of the building, which the tribunal used and which was critical to its findings, was shown to be confusingly flawed by locating the storeroom on the wrong level. It showed the storeroom to be "over the basement", but there was no basement in the building, and

2400-479: Was built in Bonnybrook, Coolock, on the banks of the Santry River , some distance from the site of the disaster, and later a monument was also established at the Stardust site. Multiple documentaries related to the fire have been made. The building which housed the Stardust was built in 1948. It was initially a food factory, operated by Scott's Foods Ltd. In 1978, the owners of Scott's, the Butterly family, converted

2450-401: Was formerly known as Butterly Business Park, now renamed Artane Business Park, opposite Artane Castle Shopping Centre . The escape of the disco attendees was hampered by chains and padlocks on multiple exits, by barred windows, and further by failure of the lighting system. Attendees at another event in the same building escaped without loss of life. A small part of the building including most of

2500-547: Was very small when first seen in the Ballroom. By 1:45   am, a ferocious burst of heat and thick black smoke started quickly coming from the ceiling, causing the material in the ceiling to melt and drip on top of patrons and other highly flammable materials, including the seats and carpet tiles on the walls. The fire flashover enveloped the club and the lights failed. This caused mass panic as patrons began desperately looking for an escape. The DJ, Colm O'Brien, announced that there

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