President Michael D Higgins hosted a reception to honour the “tenacity” of the Stardust families who campaigned for justice for their loved ones.
After a long campaign for justice, an inquest in April found that the 48 victims who died after a fire broke out at the Dublin nightclub in 1981 had been unlawfully killed.
Addressing the dozens of family members who gathered at a reception in Áras an Uachtaráin, Mr Higgins said that the families had been denied justice for years.
“It was a let-down by the State,” he said.
Mr Higgins described how he was moved by the details of the lives of those who died, who were all aged between 16 and 27 and mostly came from the north Dublin area.
He said the “terrible grief” of their families was made worse by the questions that were left unanswered or “distorted” for years, and that the verdict of unlawful killing was a “vindication of the fight of the relatives on behalf of those they lost – a promise now fulfilled”.
“I’m happy to have the opportunity to acknowledge here at Áras an Uachtaráin, in honouring that particular tenacity of the campaign that you ran,” he said.
Mr Higgins embraced the family members, spoke to them and posed for photos. He also shook hands with a solicitor for the families, Darragh Mackin, who was applauded at the event for his work on their behalf.
A harpist and flautist played music as refreshments were served to the guests.
Selina McDermott said her mother Bridget was looking forward to meeting Mr Higgins – and sat beside him as they listened to Stardust campaigner Antoinette Keegan address the Aras reception.
Mr Higgins appeared emotional as he embraced Mrs McDermott, who lost three children in the fire: George, 18, William, 22, and Marcella, 16.
Selina told the PA news agency said it was “hugely important” for her 87-year-old mother to meet Mr Higgins because of her great respect for him.
“After the State apology, we got the message we were invited to Áras an Uachtaráin to meet the president and she said ‘Please Selina, I hope I’ll still be alive’, because she was very, very ill at the time.
“She had a very bad fall a few weeks ago but she got over that and she’s here and she’s talking to him and it’s a massive achievement and she’s absolutely overwhelmed that she’s here.”
She added that her mother feels “confident” about the government action in relation to the Stardust families for the first time.
“The commemoration day in the Garden of Remembrance was a huge thing. My mam said it was like the funeral that George and Willy and Marcella never had. But this just tops it, it finalises it I think.”
Antoinette Keegan, whose two sisters Mary and Martina died in the blaze, said it was an emotional day.
“What he’s doing today is a momentous day for the 48, remembering them and it’s overwhelming for all the families,” she said, adding that their voices were no longer “silenced”.
The families of three Stardust victims boycotted the Áras reception arguing that justice for their loved ones is still outstanding.
Gardaí are still reviewing investigation files following the conclusion of the inquests in April.
