Sister of Stardust victim put black candle on Charlie Haughey's grave because he 'covered up' tragedy

A sister of a Stardust victim says she put a black candle on the grave of the late former Taoiseach Charlie Haughey as he “covered up” the disaster that claimed 48 lives.

An inquest found all who died in the 1981 disaster – including Siobhan Kearney’s brother Liam Dunne – had been unlawfully killed.

She said: “I brought a black candle and I stuck it in Charlie’s grave. He knew more than he told and covered up.”

Siobhan Kearney lost her brother Liam Dunne, 18, in the horrific 1981 nightclub fire that claimed 48 lives. She said she also visited the graves of many of the victims to tell them they had finally got justice.

It comes after an inquest into the fire on Valentine’s night 43 years ago found that all 48 victims of the fire had been “unlawfully killed”. Taoiseach Simon Harris delivered a State apology in the Dáil following the ruling.

Speaking to the Irish Sunday Mirror, Siobhan insisted that Mr Haughey, who was Taoiseach at the time of the disaster, hindered the process of vindication for the 48 who perished on February 14, 1981.

Mr Haughey was also the TD for the North Dublin area of Artane when the unfounded claim of arson was decided in a tribunal he hastily set up to probe the fire.

Siobhan, 60, said: “The first time I went to Charlie’s grave was before he had even died.

“But we knew where his spot was and I said before you go into your grave I’m going to dance on it, you nasty piece of work. What you did to our family I’ll never ever forget.”

Returning to St Fintan’s graveyard in Sutton this week to honour the deceased with a rose on their gravestones, Siobhan also revisited Mr Haughey’s grave with a message.

Siobhan Kearney in St Fintans Cemetery in Sutton where her brother’s grave Liam O’Connor is situated and a plaque is placed for the victims of the Stardust tragedy in Artane

She added: “I brought a black candle and I stuck it in Charlie’s grave so that the souls know, he’s a dark soul, he’s corrupt, he knew more than what he told and he covered up.”

She insisted the families of the Stardust victims, who were vindicated last week with the inquest ruling of “unlawfully killed”, were “treated like dirt” under the Haughey regime. She believes Mr Haughey obstructed the judicial process, adding: “We weren’t treated fair and equal.”

After the inquest last week revealed a verdict of “unlawful killing”, Siobhan said the guilt that was placed on the victims and their families had finally dissipated. She added: “We [the families] got a verdict of not guilty and they got a verdict of unlawfully killed. Now I can go to my grave in peace.”

Siobhan said visiting the victims’ graves this week was cathartic.

She added: “I went to every grave of the Stardust victims on Monday in Sutton and told them I never gave up on them, there’s probably about 30 graves. I’ve never counted.

“On Christmas Day I put a rose on their graves and on Valentines Day. I’m up there once a month. I know people who have said, ‘oh not you again’.

“A lot of people don’t like the truth. My theory is I’d rather be hurt by the truth than protected by a lie. I say their names because if you speak of the dead by name they’ll always be alive in somebody’s heart. I walked away for the first time in 43 years not feeling guilty.”

Siobhan Kearney in St Fintans Cemetery in Sutton walks up to her brother’s grave Liam O’Connor who was a victim of the Stardust tragedy in Artane

Recalling the night her brother was missing, the mum-of-three said: “We went to the Mater Hospital, it was chaotic. Walking through the wards, the smell of burnt flesh was very distinctive.

“When I found Liam he was all bandaged up with a mask and swollen but I recognised his feet because we wore hand-me-down football boots. He started to spit all this stuff up when he recognised me, like black tar and I said “Liamo, it’s Siobhan, you’re OK. He said ‘Siobhan, were you there’?”

“He said, ‘Thank God you didn’t go, Siobhan I was putting me hands on the seats, they weren’t on fire, they were f**n melting’.

“The bast**ds locked the door, we couldn’t get out. When we went back up to the hospital again he wasn’t in his bed, I panicked. They had to open the blood vessels in his wrist as the swelling from the burn had done so much damage.

“That night he was given 24 hours to live. We prayed for hours in the church, hours turned to weeks. We thought he’s going to do it, he’s going to pull through. But he wasn’t, they took him off the ventilator.

“My mother came home from the hospital and slid to the floor screaming. Our world became very silent then.

“We cried and there were tears and staring into nothing, every bit of hope, miraculous medal and prayer that could have been said was said, but he wasn’t coming home.

“I started making these records and I made a tape for them while he was lying there. I brought the tape up but he was dead, 25 days after the fire.”

It’s only now that Siobhan says she can fully grieve.

She added: “I’m not right in the head, how could you be, from the age of 16 you’re investigating your own brother’s death and listening to your own mother and father investigating their son’s death.

“It should have never been. When it came to the compensation everyone had to sign a gagging order.

“My parents were given €7,500 for the death of Liam and we didn’t have a choice where Liam was buried. All the money in the world would not compensate for what our family went through because it dissolved our family.

“If we pursued it in a civil court we’d lose our houses and our fathers would lose their jobs. The public of Ireland stood behind us and they never let us down. They didn’t want us to pursue the truth but we knew the truth.

“My brother spoke the truth. He spoke to me. I’m still traumatised. We never grieved, how could you grieve when you’re running on trauma.

“He was branded an arsonist, that never sat well with me or my parents, it added to the trauma.

“When the verdict of unlawfully killed came back you could smile, we never gave up.”

For the latest breaking news and top stories, visit our homepage.

Join the Irish Mirror’s breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive breaking news and the latest headlines direct to your phone. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.