President to lead Stardust Ceremony of Commemoration

A Ceremony of Commemoration for the victims, survivors and all those affected by the 1981 Stardust fire will take place in the Garden of Remembrance in Dublin today from midday, led by President Michael D Higgins.

The ceremony comes as the Government is set to establish a redress scheme for the victims in the coming days.

This commemoration has been co-designed with the families of the victims and will remember all those who died in the Stardust fire, as well as those who have been affected by the disaster and those who helped victims and their families on the night and over the years since.

The President, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and members of the Government will be in attendance.

The President will lay a wreath on behalf of the people of Ireland and a wreath for each victim will also be put into the cruciform pool at the garden.

Speaking ahead of the event, Taoiseach Simon Harris said: “Forty-three years and 64 days later, the Stardust Inquest delivered the truth at long last, with the verdict of unlawful killing.

“I am determined to do right by these families. On the 23rd of April in Dáil Éireann I delivered a State apology to the victims, survivors and families of the Stardust tragedy and today, two months later, we take the next step with this State commemoration.

“This is an important moment for the country to collectively mourn the 48 victims and to thank the families who continued their pursuit for justice over four decades.”

The ceremony, which begins at midday, is set to begin with music from Christy Moore who will sing ‘They Never Came Home’.

There will also be spoken word and song by artists including the North Dublin Gospel Community Choir, the Artane Band and the Dublin Fire Brigade Band with solo performances from Zoë Conway, Kevin Rowsome, Mary Byrne and Eddie Sherlock. Roddy Doyle will read a piece he composed especially for the ceremony entitled “Names”, and Fr Joe Jones, formerly of Bonnybrook Parish, will read a prayer. Master of Ceremonies for the event is Phelim Drew.

It is understood that the terms of the redress scheme have now been circulated to the families, with some family members telling the Taoiseach that this needed to be done before today’s event went ahead.

The redress scheme is expected to begin work later this week and be led by Senior Counsel Sara Moorehead.

Antoinette Keegan, one of the survivors and campaigners who lost two of her sisters in the blaze, said it would be an emotional and a special day and very poignant after the State apology which was delivered in the Dáil.

After a verdict of unlawful killing for each of the victims was returned, she said the truth had been told and a weight was lifted from her shoulders.

The names of all the 48 people who lost their lives, along with extracts from the pen portraits will be read out. They range in ages from 16 to 27.

Television coverage of the Stardust commemoration will be broadcast live from 11.55am on RTÉ One, RTÉ News Channel and the RTÉ Player.