A fire broke out at the Stardust nightclub in Dublin on Valentine’s Day 1981
Finola McDevitt and Yvonne Graham, friends from the Shantallow area of Londonderry, have spoken for the first time about the Stardust nightclub disaster.
Forty-eight people died in the fire in Dublin on St Valentine’s Day in 1981.
There have been calls for a fresh inquest for years. Gardai sent a new file to the DPP in connection with the disaster in 2016.
It followed a complaint made by a researcher concerning evidence that five of the victims were already dead before the alarm was raised.
Three of the dead were from Northern Ireland.
Yvonne and Finola lost their friend Susie Morgan.
Both women were at an event on Tuesday in the Long Tower Museum where some of the Stardust families met people affected by Bloody Sunday.
Yvonne Graham told BBC Radio Foyle: “Five of us went to Dublin. We were working in the Nazareth House and we all went out for the night to the Stardust nightclub.
“Only four of us came back. My room mate Susie Morgan was killed in the fire. She was a friend to all of us.
“It was a nightmare. Everyone was like wild animals trying to get out. We were running looking for each other but most of us ended up in hospital. We went to all of the hospitals to find Susie but ended up in the morgue.”
Yvonne said losing Susie has affected her over the years and she called for a fresh inquest.
“Losing our friend has been so emotional for us over the years. We couldn’t talk about it. We would love to see a new inquest.
“It’s terrible that these people haven’t got justice 37 years on.”
Yvonne Graham and Fionola McDevitt have spoken out about the disaster for the first time
“It was horrific,” she added.
“The lights went out, the heat was unbearable and we couldn’t breath. We were tripping over everyone to try and get out. Everything happened so quickly.
“We still look for exit doors when we go into a building.”
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