A woman who escaped from the Stardust nightclub has told the inquests how bouncers closed the main doors for a time, while people were still inside to prevent others from going back into the burning building.
Sharon O'Hanlon also told the Dublin District Coroner’s Court today how pieces of the ceiling fell on the table she was sitting at as she and her friends were fleeing the fire.
17-years-old at the time of the disaster, Ms O'Hanlon told the court that she was sitting with a group of friends at a table beside the sectioned off area where the fire was first spotted, known as the west alcove.
She described first smelling smoke, then looking under the shutter and seeing the fire. She said when she first saw it, she thought it was "controllable".
She said she and her friends then decided to leave and as they were gathering up their belongings, pieces of the ceiling came down onto their table. "We just got a fright," she told the court.
She also said that as they were leaving, the music was still playing and people were still dancing. She said there was no one directing them out and said they exited through the main door "without any difficulty".
"We were literally the first out," Ms O'Hanlon said.
She also described that after she made it out, two bouncers were holding the main doors closed. "We didn't understand it at the time," she said today, "they were obviously trying to stop people from going back in".
She was asked by Gemma McLoughlin-Burke, counsel for the inquests, how long after she initially made it out were the doors closed. "It seemed we were out only a short time," Ms O'Hanlon said.
Asked for how long they were closed for, she said, "it didn’t seem long".
She told the court the doors then opened again and people came out.
The court also heard from Pamela McGuinness who was also 17 at the time of the disaster. She said she had no difficulty getting into what was meant to be an over 21s event.
She described looking under the partition of the west alcove and first seeing the fire, saying today it was "bright, it was moving up and down … it was sort of more heat than smoke," she said.
She also agreed with Sean Guerin SC that she never saw anyone going into the west alcove that night and did not notice anything suspicious.
The court also heard how she told gardaí in 1981 how a Stardust bouncer had approached her and a group of friends at the Keane Tribunal before she gave evidence.
She told gardaí that he said the patrons were "getting off easy" and that the truth would come out about the "the underage drinking and people smoking hash".
In the 1981 garda statement, Ms McGuinness said the comments worried her.
The court also heard how she told the 1981 Keane Tribunal that the main doors were closed for a time after she had escaped and that they were so as there was "hammering going on" from people still inside who wanted to get out.
The court also heard how she told the 1981 Keane Tribunal that the main doors were closed for a time after she had escaped and that there was "hammering going on" from people still inside who wanted to get out
Earlier, the inquests heard from Deirdre Ryan, who was 19-years-old at the time of the disaster.
She told the court she had no trouble getting in on the night and was not asked for identification.
The inquests heard how she first smelled smoke and then saw it, describing it was "dark grey". She then left out the main entrance and was asked how long was she outside before the emergency services arrived. She said it was "around ten minutes".
Later, counsel for Dublin Fire Brigade, Conleth Bradley, SC, put it to her if she would not disagree that it was eight minutes when they arrived.
The inquests also heard how one of those who died had initially been making her way towards the exit before turning back to tell her sister to get out.
Teresa McDonnell was 16-years-old at the time of the fire and was among the 48 who died.
Brian Killeen had been in her company that night and was giving evidence at the inquests today.
He told the court that she was in the group with him as they headed for the main exit and that Teresa McDonnell then decided to go back to tell her sister Lorraine to get out.
Mr Killeen said that was the last time he saw Teresa alive.
He said once outside he and others were looking for her constantly and went around the hospitals to find her.
The court heard how he looked for her all day Saturday and on Sunday until he found out she was dead.
At the end of today's proceedings, the coroner, Dr Myra Cullinane, passed on her condolences to the family of Mary O'Connor who has died.
She was the mother of 17-year-old George O'Connor who was one of the 48 killed in the 1981 fire.
Last May, George's sister, Donna, told the inquests that the dance that night was the first and the last that he had ever attended.
