Above from left: Lorraine Keegan, Martina Hand, Antoinette Keegan and Pauline Braymer. in the frames are Martina Keegan (16) and Mary Keegan (19) who died in the Stardust Fire
This afternoon.
RDS, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4.
family members of Stardust fire victims outside the eleventh pre-inquest hearing into the fire that killed 48 people at an Artane disco in the early hours of February 14, 1981. The location for the inquest itself has been set at the Rotunda Hospital.
Previously: Constant Delay
This morning.
Department of Justice, Dublin 2.
Antoinette Keegan (above) and supporters urge urgency in the staging of a new inquest into the 1981 fire that killed 48 people.
The lease on a ‘bespoke courtroom’ in the RDS, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, to hold the inquests, expires in February, with Ms Keegan statingL
“Money is being wasted on an empty venue and not one inquest has been heard”
Pictured in the frames are Martina Keegan (16) and Mary Keegan (19 who died in the Stardust Fire.
Stardust families blast department over delayed inquests (Irish Examiner)
This morning.
RDS, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4.
Survivors and family members of some of the 48 people killed in the Stardust Fire arrive for a three-day pre-inquest hearing into the 1981 tragedy. 25 family members accepted an invitation to attend today’s session.
Survivor Antoinette keegan said
“We’re hoping we get the truth on public record, once and for all. Because our loved ones went out Friday the 13th and never came home Saturday the 14th. So we want to know what happened to our loved ones, like our human beings, our loved ones.”
She says that the inquest, as ordered by the Attorney General on Dec 19 2019, is to be carried out in the public interest, in the interest of justice, and, given the magnitude of the Stardust disaster, because the families are “entitled to the public revelation of the facts”
— Cianan Brennan (@ciananbrennan) October 14, 2020
Now that all those responsible are not with us anymore.
This afternoon.
Dublin Coroner’s Court.
Relatives of those killed and injured in the Stardust Fire gather ahead of a preliminary hearing ahead of a new inquest that could answer their questions about how and why the tragedy happened.
Forty-eight people died and more than 200 were injured when a fire broke out in the Stardust nightclub in Artane on St Valentine’s night in 1981.
From top: Gertrude Barrett, whose 17-year-old son Michael died in the blaze; Suzanne Keegan, Lorraine and Antoinette Keegan whose sisters Mary (19) and Martina (16) also died in the Stardust; Solicitor Darragh Mackin and a group shot of relatives of those killed and injured.
Pics Karen Morgan
Previously: A Fresh Inquest
The halting site in Carrickmines, south Dublin, where a fire killed 10 members of the same Traveller family, one of whom was pregnant, in 2015
Ten members of the same Traveller family, including a pregnant woman, died in a fire at a halting site in Carrickmines, south Dublin, in October 2015.
Those who died were: Thomas Connors, 28, his wife Sylvia (nee Lynch), 30, their three children, Jim, 5, Christy 3, and six-month-old Mary; Willy Lynch, 25, his pregnant partner Tara Gilbert, 27, her daughter Jodie, 9, their daughter Kelsey, four; and Jimmy Lynch, 39 – Sylvia and Willy’s brother.
Further to this…
An inquest into the deaths began this morning.
And RTÉ reports:
“An inquest has heard that the fire that killed ten people at a halting site in Carrickmines, Co Dublin, was caused by a chip pan.
“Detective Inspector Martin Creighton told the Dublin Coroners Court that the source of the blaze in 2015 was found to be an electric cooker in a mobile home at the Glenamuck halting site.
“He said that a chip pan had been left on a hot plate on the cooker.”
“…The council’s director of services Thomas McHugh said the Glenamuck halting site was a temporary emergency site provided in 2008 for families who were living at the side of the road.
“In answer to coroner Myra Cunninane, he said that temporary emergency sites were exempt from housing regulations including fire safety regulations.”
Chip pan was cause of fatal Carrickmines fire, inquest told (RTÉ)
Previously: Travellers And Friends
The late Dolores O’Riordan
Today.
In London.
The inquest into the death of The Cranberries singer Dolores O’Riordan has taken place.
She would have been 47 today.
BBC reports:
The Cranberries front woman Dolores O’Riordan died in January by drowning due to alcohol intoxication, an inquest at Westminster Coroner’s Court has heard.
The singer, who died suddenly on 15 January aged 46, was found submerged in the bath in her room at the Park Lane Hilton hotel.
O’Riordan died as a result of a “tragic accident”, the coroner said.
The singer had no injuries or evidence of self harm, the inquest was told.
Alan Hawe
Gary Meneely, in The Irish Sun, reports:
Alan Hawe killed his family as he faced the prospect of his marriage breaking up, it emerged yesterday.
The deputy school principal murdered wife Clodagh and their three sons before taking his own life at their Cavan home in August 2016.
The Irish Sun has also learned Hawe’s feared “fall” from grace was over a “sexual matter”.
Mary and Jacqueline [Clodagh’s sisters] said in their statement:
“While the psychiatrist has attempted as best he could to create a retrospective diagnosis based on items and records, his GP who knew him for five years said he never displayed any signs of depression.”
“On August 29, 2016, we lost our daughter and sister Clodagh and her lovely sons Liam, Niall and Ryan in the most horrific circumstances.
“We are aware that the inquest has a limited role in law in that its function is restricted to establishing how, where and when our loved ones died.
“….The inquest does not address why Alan Hawe committed this savagery but his counsellor has said that he was concerned about his position as ‘a pillar of the community’ and we are aware that he was concerned at his imminent fall from that position and the breakdown of his marriage.”
Yesterday: ‘We Are Aware That Alan Hawe Was Concerned At His Imminent Fall’
Previously: The War At Home
From top: Mary Boyle; Ann Doherty
Ann Doherty has today launched the first stage in a legal action against Ireland, the Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald and the Donegal Coroner for their refusal to hold an inquest into the death of her identical twin sister Mary Boyle.
The six-year-old girl vanished on her grandparents’ remote farm in Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal in March 1977. She is Ireland’s longest and youngest missing person.
Her uncle Gerry Gallagher was the last person known to be with her.
Ann’s legal action has been taken on the grounds that the coroner Dr Denis McCauley has recently informed her lawyers that it is not his intention to hold an inquest.
The coroner has told them that an inquest would have an adverse effect on Mary Boyle’s mother Ann Boyle. He has also stated that An Garda Siochana would adjourn an inquest should one be convened.
Ann Doherty will challenge the decision on the grounds that Article 2 of the European Convention of Human Rights – the right to a thorough, effective investigation – has been breached.
She will argue that new evidence has come to light about her sister’s disappearance in a forthcoming documentary to be broadcast shorted called ‘Mary Boyle – The Untold Story’.
As part of this evidence, a number of ex-garda officers have alleged that there was a political interference in the initial investigation. They allege that there was a direct intervention by a politician who ordered that the chief suspect not be arrested.
Ann Doherty’s legal team will argue that this and other evidence has caused widespread public suspicion, rumour and speculation both in Donegal and throughout Ireland, and that an inquest should be held in an attempt to assuage that concern.
Further evidence has also emerged in the documentary, which had already been in the possession of the gardai, regarding information Mary’s mother had about her disappearance.
During a meeting with Ann Doherty and her lawyer Darragh Mackin in December 2015, the coroner stated that he had attempted to contact Mary Boyle’s mother Ann Boyle on at least four separate occasions regarding the holding of an inquest but had been unable to do so.
Ann Doherty has asked that an inquest be convened so that her twin sister can be officially declared deceased.
Ann contends that the coroner’s decision not to hold an inquest is unlawful and that the reasoning for same is entirely unreasonable and disproportionate.
She claims there is a substantive breach of Article 2 of the European Commission on Human Rights which obliges the state to carry out an effective and independent investigation when someone dies in suspicious circumstances.
She also claims that a delay of 40 years in opening an inquest is an irrational and disproportionate breach of Article 2 and that her constitutional right to the truth and justice has been denied.
Darragh Mackin of KRW Law has confirmed that an application will be made to the High Court in the coming days for a judicial review of the coroner’s decision.
‘Mary Boyle – The Untold Story’ will be broadcast shortly.
A statement from Families for Justice.
Registrar not told #Savita white blood cell count was abnormal. It was not realised ‘until a couple of days later’ #RTEnews
— Fergal Bowers (@FergalBowers) April 9, 2013
Specialist registrar saw #Savita Sunday 2.20pm. Was not told membranes had ruptured, until early next day, despite infection risk
— Fergal Bowers (@FergalBowers) April 9, 2013
Friend of #Savita says she heard midwife say termination not possible ‘we don’t do that here dear, it’s a Catholic thing’.
— Fergal Bowers (@FergalBowers) April 9, 2013
Abortion refusal death: coroner asks for midwife to be identified (The Guardian)
#savita inquest adjourned over search for ‘missing’ hospital roster.
— Random Irish News (@randomirishnews) April 9, 2013
Well, this is unexpected.
And by ‘unexpected’ we do mean ‘entirely predictable’.
(Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland)
