Stardust survivor Antoinette Keegan has resolved to write a book about the 1981 tragedy and the families’ 38-year fight for justice.
The defiant campaigner will commit to paper her memories of the horrific nightclub inferno which claimed the lives of her two sisters Mary, 19, and 16-year-old Martina.
Dubliner Antoinette told the Irish Sunday Mirror: “The reason I’m writing a book is because the truth has been hidden for so long and I’m going to get the truth out there.
“We’ve had three inquiries, all inconclusive, but now we are going to have a full inquest with our testimony heard.
“They can’t ignore us this time.”
The Valentine’s night disco at the Stardust venue in Artane, north Dublin left 48 dead and 214 seriously injured in what remains the biggest single tragedy in the history of the State.
Earlier this month the Attorney General ordered a fresh inquest on foot of new information and witness statements collected by victims’ families.
Antoinette said: “I’m hoping I can involve all the families in the book, that they can give their experiences.
“They have all been hurt and suffered so much for so long.”
She said the Justice for the Stardust 48 group has been “inundated” with calls and emails in the past week from other witnesses who were at the club on the night of the fire.
Antoinette added: “So many people have come forward – contacting us from the UK, from Australia, from all over.
“A woman who made a 999 call which wasn’t logged on the night came forward. We went down to meet her and she gave us a statement.
“It’s very relevant because at that stage the fire was at a major stage in the roof. Witnesses recall just a small fire on the seats before the whole roof collapsed on everyone in that building.
“It was mayhem. It was horrific.”
Campaigners say they have uncovered evidence of 999 calls in tribunal transcripts showing Dublin Fire Brigade was alerted simultaneously at 1.43am to a fire on a seat and a fire in the roof space.
Earlier tribunals concluded that the fire on a seat which was “probable arson” had caused the blaze.
In a statement last week AG Seamus Woulfe said fresh inquests were advisable because there was “an insufficiency of inquiry as to how the deaths occured” in earlier probes.
The inquests are expected to take a minimum of six months and will consider forensic evidence from experts involved in the Grenville Towers and 9/11 tragedies.
The Justice for the Stardust 48 group will meet with survivors and their families on October 17 at Parnell GAA in Dublin and Antoinette said they were anxious to track down two families.
She explained: “There were two lads – Robert Hillock and James Miller – sent down to get away from The Troubles in the North and they both died in that fire that night.
“They were from the Twinbrook estate in Belfast but we have lost touch with their families over the years. It would be great if they could be with us to see it through to the end.”
Anyone with information can contact the Justice for the Stardust 48 group via its Facebook page.
