The long-awaited inquest into the Stardust tragedy gets underway in Dublin this morning.

Over 3,000 people have been summonsed for jury selection – with a panel of 15 to be picked.

Some 48 people lost their lives when fire swept through the Stardust nightclub in Artane on February 14th, 1981.

It has taken the families of those that died over 42 years to secure an inquest into the tragedy after numerous calls were rejected by the State.

Antoinette Keegan at the 40th anniversary of the Stardust fire, 14-02-2021. Image: Leon Farrell / RollingNews

Stardust Victims Committee spokesperson Antoinette Keegan told Newstalk the 42-year wait is a shameful reflection on successive governments.

“It is an absolute disgrace what successive Government did to us families,” she said.

“They treated us so inhumane, so disgraceful and I say again and again, shame on every successive Government that has done this to us families.

“We did not deserve it. We never done anything on the Irish State and neither did our loved ones.”

Stardust survivor Antoinette Keegan. Image: Newstalk

Ms Keegan lost her sisters Mary and Martina in the tragedy and her mother Christine spent her life campaigning for justice.

She said she never ever thought today would come.

“It is going to be a big day for us,” she said.

“This is actually the reality and we have waited two years for this day to come so it is actually a big day for us.”

The inquests gets underway at Croke Park at 10am this morning.