There has been emotional testimony on day seven of the Stardust Inquest as the Keegan family, who lost two sisters in the disaster, paid tribute to their loved ones and criticised successive governments over how victims' families have been treated.
Mary Keegan was aged 19 when she died, Martina was three years younger.
Their brother Damien Keegan paid tribute to them saying they were beautiful, dearly loved and very special.
He said Mary was a fun loving, extremely intelligent, very sociable but shy at heart.
He said there was a special bond between Mary and himself.
"She really loved me so much," he said.
He spoke of the holidays his sisters took with their friends but said the Stardust had put an end to all their future plans.
Lorraine Keegan also spoke at the inquest today saying the loss of her two sisters left a black hole in their family.
She described Martina as stunningly beautiful, saying it was her ambition to become a model.
"She was caring, compassionate, fun-loving, very sociable, witty and an extremely beautiful sister. We were all blessed to have her as our sister," she said.
She recalled the day of the fire and how Martina was able to convince her parents to let her go to the Stardust as all her workmates from Superquinn were going.
Later, she recalled going to the morgue, the smell was horrendous, she said.
She told the inquest how her sisters were identified by their jewellery. Martina's ring, which was recovered, she wears to this day, she said.
She said the Stardust disaster was a day that changed her family forever and described how Martina's boyfriend David Morton initially made it out of the Stardust that night. However, she said he went back in to save Martina and he also died that night.
Lorraine Keegan also told the inquest how Martina had bought a Valentine's card for David that night. It was found floating around in water outside the following morning.
Worst nightmare
In his pen portrait, Damien described how his parents' worst nightmare became a reality on the night of the fire.
"They spent all day Saturday and Sunday in the city morgue and at 6pm they were handed two plastic bags, one containing Mary's necklace burned beyond recognition with broken links and the other containing Martina’s rings also burned beyond recognition. The only identification visible was the signet ring which still bore the initials MK and the claddagh ring."
He said after the Stardust, their house was never the same again.
"At night time we would all hear the sounds of our ma and da crying," he told the inquest.
He paid tribute to his parents, John and Chrissie, for their work in the campaign for justice and for setting up the Stardust Victims Committee.
He said his mother was instrumental in getting the 2008 External Independent Examination set up as well as the re-opening of the inquest.
In emotional testimony, as he fought back tears, he said his mother passed away in July 2020, three years before the inquest got underway.
"My mam died without knowing when the inquest was going to happen. It was three weeks after she passed away it was announced. It is heart-breaking that due to the passage of time our ma is not present here today, after all she done to get us to this place today," he said.
He then read a piece that was written by his late mother in 2019.
In it, she described how the Stardust fire had taken all of their happy family days away from them.
She was also highly critical of successive governments and how the families of the victims were treated.
"We felt abandoned and all alone and left like lambs to a slaughter. Everything brushed under the carpet, to keep the trust hidden.
"I would like to ask a question to the Government, the establishment, and its agencies. What did we families of the deceased victims of the Stardust fire ever do on the Government to deserve this ill treatment and constant systematic abuse we have sustained?"
Damien Keegan concluded his pen portrait by saying he will continue to get the truth and justice "in loving memory of our beloved mam and dad as well as our two sisters".
His testimony was met with applause from the other families in the court.
' A bit of a character'
Another victim, Robert Kelly, was also remembered today.
His pen portrait was delivered by campaigner and survivor Antoinette Keegan and by his niece Mandy Kelly.
The inquest was told how Robert was initially refused entrance by a Stardust bouncer on the night in question, but that he and his friend Paul Nolan sat outside for a while, rejoined the queue and were allowed in.
Robert was described as beautiful lad and a 'bit of a character,' who idolised his mother.
On the night of the fire, his friend Paul Nolan got out. He then ran to the Kelly house and pleaded with Robert's parents to check if Robert was in his room.
"But Robert's bed was empty. Robert never came home," the inquest heard.
The coroner's court was also told how three weeks before the blaze, Robert told his brother Eugene that he had had an out-of-body experience and he could see himself dying and said: "I am going to die young."
Mandy Kelly, the daughter of Eugene Kelly and niece of Robert, spoke of the impact of the death on the family.
"As a young child I remember my father always depressed and always crying.
"My father eventually got so depressed he couldn’t get out of this depressed state.
"He had a nervous breakdown and was hospitalised for two weeks," she said.
She told the court how Robert was addicted to Coca-Cola and how his mother would give out to him for drinking so much, telling him that he would lose all his teeth for drinking too much.
Ironically, she said he was identified in the aftermath of the Stardust fire by his dental records.
She told the court how her father had "fought endlessly" for truth and justice.
The last time anyone saw him alive was at the first hearing of the inquest on 14 October 2020 outside the coroner’s court in Dublin.
He passed away five days later of a heart attack and also "a broken heart," she said.
Bird tells inquest of Stardust family's grief
Broadcaster Charlie Bird delivered a pen portrait at the inquest for 20-year-old Robert 'Bobby' Hillick.
The tribute was written after conversations with Bill Hillick, Bobby's brother, before he passed away two years ago.
Bill said he and his brother were very close. He described him as always outgoing and hardworking.
The inquest heard how Bobby, originally from Belfast, had gone to Dublin to work on a building site.
He said he could not believe it when he heard about the fire.
"Bobby's death really took its toll on me and I went to England for many years to try to block out that it had happened. I couldn’t cope with it and being at home was being constantly faced with his loss. Even now I still don’t think I will ever get over it," Bill said in his pen portrait.
The inquest heard how their mother, who is still alive, has never gotten over it.
"My mother doesn’t deserve to be forced to carry this heartbreak and this grief."
In his tribute, Bill said Bobby's death devastated the family.
The testimony was read aloud today by the broadcaster Charlie Bird, with the aid of a voice simulator.
The journalist has covered the Stardust disaster throughout his career.
