The inquest into the Stardust fire on Valentine's night in 1981, which is said to be the biggest inquest in the history of the State, has adjourned after its first day.
The blaze claimed the lives of 48 young people who were attending a Valentine's Day event at the Stardust Ballroom in Artane.
The mother of teenager Michael Barrett who died on the night, described him as a great and kind son.
Gertrude Barrett also said he was a great brother, ambitious and hopeful for the future.
She said the 17-year-old, who was an apprentice plumber, had planned to start a family business.
He was working on the night of the fire as an assistant DJ.
She said her family was a happy one until the night of the fire. After that, their lives changed forever, she said.
The aftermath was a living nightmare, she said, and added that she would never forget the callousness of it all.
The mother of Carol Bissett who died in the fire, described her as a beautiful daughter.
Betty Bissett told the inquest that that the 18-year-old's death had devastated the family.
In emotional testimony, she described Carol as a lovely friend and said if you had her as a friend, you had a friend for life.
She said she could not take the news of her death and had to go on strong medication.
Ms Bissett spoke of how Carol died in hospital, three days after the fire.
"I wasn't there to hold her hand or tell her I love her," she said.
Carol's school friends still visit her with their own children, she said, adding that she wondered if Carol would have some of her own.
Carol's sister, Liz, who was seven years old when the tragedy happened, wrote and read a poem in her honour. It included the lines:
"My grief with memories, I bury deep
They only surface when I sleep."
"I just wish I go to say good night
And wish I could have held you tight."
Liz Bissett then broke down in years, while the families in court gave the Bissetts a standing ovation.
At the start of proceedings, the coroner Dr Myra Cullinane, read aloud the names of all of those who died.
She said it was a very important morning and told the jury the pen portraits would help them picture the young people at the time of fire.
She said they were at the heart of this inquest and their lives must be vindicated.
The inquest is due to hear from families, witnesses, and experts and is expected to take around six months.
The inquest will sit four days a week and is expected to pause in July before resuming in September.
Before the inquest began, families of the victims gathered at the Garden of Remembrance and walked the short distance to the Pillar Room on the grounds of the Rotunda Hospital campus where the inquest is being held.
Justice is not just a word, it's a commitment to the innocent souls lost in the Stardust fire, and to the 48 lives that were cut short. Let their tragedy be a reminder that we must never tire in our pursuit for justice. pic.twitter.com/ArJfOm4CcU
— Justice for Stardust 48 (@48NeverCameHome) April 9, 2023
'Living nightmare'
Antoinette Keegan, Stardust survivor and campaigner, said the start of the inquest is a "massive, amazing, brilliant day", but that it should not have taken so long.
"We are finally here," she said, "and it is so sad that my mother and father are not here to see it and witness all they had achieved for the 48 victims".
Ms Keegan's two sisters, Mary and Martina, died in the fire.
"Our family home was never the same after they died," she said.
There has not been any time to grieve properly for her sisters and parents because they have had to fight so hard for justice, she added.
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Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Ms Keegan said the traumatic event of the fire is constantly on her mind.
"It's a living nightmare," she said.
"It's in my brain. I consume it morning, noon and night."
She said her sister and brother would read poems for their siblings at the Garden of Remembrance, while she would also speak.
"We will talk about the lives that they had the happiness that we had in our home and what they achieved.....our family home was never the same again," she said.
Ms Keegan said she would attend the inquest as much as she can to represent her sisters and parents.
"We didn't have a family home after the Stardust," she said.
"We had a happy home and then it was sad. We hadn't got a home because our parents were outside all trying to campaign for justice for the 48."
Read more: What will the Stardust inquest attempt to address?
