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The interior of the Stardust which went on fire on the morning St. Valentines Day, killing 48 people. Eamon Farrell/Photocall Ireland
33 years on

Gardaí have launched an investigation into the Stardust fire inquiry

The Stardust Victims Committee claim they have new evidence which points to perjury in the 1981 Keane Tribunal.

A GARDA INQUIRY is underway into both 1981 Keane Tribunal into the Stardust fire and the 2009 Coffey Tribunal which reviewed the evidence.

The investigation is based out of Coolock Garda Station but gardaí have refused to provide any further details as to what is being investigated.

The news comes during the week that will mark the 33rd anniversary of the nightclub fire in Artane in Dublin that killed 48 people.

Researcher Geraldine Foy has been working with the Victims Committee for a decade and spokesperson Antoinette Keegan says that the garda investigation has arisen from the work undertaken by Foy.

The Victims Committee say that they have new evidence which demonstrates perjury was committed in the Keane report and the Coffey review.

Fire expert Robin Knox has also been working with the Victims Committee.

Foy herself says that they have set up the Bridget McDermott Stardust fund to pay for a case they intend to take against the Minister of Justice in the European Court of Human rights. They claim that their right to natural justice has been denied.

Families of those who died in the fire have consistently rejected the 1981 conclusion that the fire was caused by probable arson and say that they have new evidence which casts doubt on that result.

But there appears to be a disagreement with the Department of Justice over whether the information they point to constitutes new evidence.

“The Government have failed to produce any evidence to back up their claim the families never presented any new evidence,” argues Foy.

Last week Keegan, who lost her two sisters in the fire, and another campaigner entered Government Buildings and refused to leave for a period of time saying they wanted the Government to explain why there is no new evidence.

Read: Stardust families will release ‘new pages’ from review of evidence >

Read: Stardust campaigners are refusing to leave Government Buildings >

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