Taoiseach hopes to meet with families of Stardust victims tomorrow

The Stardust campaigners in the Garden of Remembrance

Taoiseach Simon Harris has said he hopes to meet with the families of the Stardust victims tomorrow.

Mr Harris told reporters in Carlow today that he spoke to campaigner Antoinette Keegan over the phone from Brussels yesterday after a jury found that the 48 victims of the tragedy in 1981 were unlawfully killed. A number of family members and campaigners made speeches at the Garden of Remembrance following the verdict, with several calls made for a state apology.

Dublin Live understands that an email has been circulated among the families to see who is available to attend the meeting tomorrow, and that the legal teams representing the families will be present. Mr Harris added that he is “eager to be in a position to apologise to these families”.

“I’ve reached out to the families today, the Stardust families, and I’ve offered to meet them tomorrow,” Mr Harris told RTE. “I’m very keen to meet with the families, I’m very conscious that these families have felt unheard for decades and I want to make sure that they know that I’m listening and that I want to hear them and of course I want to be in a position as Taoiseach to apologise on behalf of this country.

“But I think the most appropriate thing to do is to seek to meet them. I did speak to Antoinette Keegan yesterday evening from Brussels and I’ve reached out today to offer to meet the families tomorrow if that works for them, or if not at another time of their choosing.

“But I am eager to be in a position to apologise to these families but I think it’s right and proper that I would meet them first and I hope that that can take place tomorrow.” Ms Keegan confirmed to Dublin Live that they would be meeting tomorrow morning, and that the Stardust legal teams would be present.

She said: “We’ve had 43 years of systemic abuse from the Irish State. We won’t be going unarmed this time.”

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