The Government owes the Stardust families an apology, their solicitor has said.
Today, jurors in the Stardust Inquest returned verdicts of ‘unlawful killing’ for each of the 48 young people who died in the nightclub on Valentine's Day in 1981.
Solicitor Darragh Mackin said the families’ grief was compounded by the insensitivity of the State’s response.
“In 1981 these young people - inhumanely identified by a number - were stripped of their integrity and their dignity,” he said.
“Stripped of their dignity by the very same State that had stripped them of their very basic human rights.
“What was the result? The result was the criminalisation of victims and patrons; the pain and suffering of these families was relentless.”
Stardust verdict. Photograph: Sasko Lazarov / © RollingNews.ieSamantha Curran was only four when her mother, Helena Mangan, died in the tragedy.
Speaking to The Hard Shoulder, she said the verdict was a huge relief.
“I know that my mother was unlawfully killed,” she said.
“She went out for a night of fun with her partner to have a dance, laughter and she never came home.
“To find that she was unlawfully killed after the 130 odd days that I’ve sat in court and listened to all that evidence, it’s just been amazing.
“What upsets me a little bit is that it’s the same evidence [that’s been there] for 43 years, there’s nothing new here.”
Ms Curran said listening to the evidence had been “very difficult” but she felt she needed to do it for the sake of her mother.
“Everybody knows the truth and that’s what means so much to me,” she said.
“I got justice for my Mam and the truth came out on what happened that night.
“I can get on with my life and be a better parent to my own children and give my own children the mother they deserve.”
In a statement, Taoiseach Simon Harris said the Stardust tragedy was “one of the darkest moments in our history” and the Government would “consider this verdict in full”.
Main image: A woman cries after the Stardust verdict. Picture by: Sasko Lazarov / © RollingNews.ie
