It was “common practice” in every hotel, disco or ballroom in the 1970s and ‘80s to drape chains over emergency exits to “fool” people into thinking the were locked, head of security at the Stardust nightclub where 48 people died in a fire in 1981, has said.
Pheilim Kinahan told inquests into the deaths of the 48 at the north Dublin venue in the early hours of February 14th, 1981, “maybe” he should have done something different on the night but “no one” expected a fire.
Fresh inquests are being held at Dublin Coroner’s Court following a 2019 recommendation by then attorney general Séamus Woulfe.
Mr Kinahan, who had sought to be excused from appearing at the inquests on medical grounds, appeared via Zoom on Tuesday. He told Mark Tottenham, counsel for the inquests, it was “just standard practice everywhere I worked” that the a chain was “thrown over the [push bar]” on emergency exits.
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Asked if this was “designed to look as if it was locked”, he said: “Yes, yes, yes”.
He frequently answered questions by saying he did not remember, repeatedly saying: “It was a long time ago.”
Des Fahy, KC, for the families of nine of the dead, asked him “to do your absolute best to remember as much as you can ... because these are important events for them”.
Mr Kinahan agreed he had been 12 years in the hotel business and had been working “four or five months” at the Stardust. He had a “very good” relationship with Stardust manager Eamonn Butterly.
Mr Fahy asked him did he know “what was good practice in terms of fire safety”?
“We all knew what to do, how to get out and get out quick. Nobody is expecting to be involved in a fire ... no one would expect a fire to be started,” Mr Kinahan said.
“You were assistant floor manager. Did you not bear responsibility or feel any responsibility to the hundreds of people who had paid in that night?” asked the lawyer.
“Not really, no .. Maybe I should have done something else,” he said, but there had been no fire-training or fire drills that he was aware of.
“If you had had training ... you might have been able to help those paying customers who were caught up in the fire,” said Mr Fahy. “Yes, probably.”
He again said it was “the policy ... to drape chains over the doors when they weren’t locked” and it was “in every hotel I worked in, in Switzerland, in England, Wales, everywhere. That’s what they used to do”.
“That was to fool people wasn’t it? Into thinking the door was locked,” said Mr Fahy. “Yes,” he replied.
Asked about a policy of locking two of the emergency exits on more quiet nights, he said: “More than likely. I couldn’t swear.”
It was “true” this could be the case because there weren’t enough door-staff employed, he added. “In them days there was never enough [doormen in any premises]”, said Mr Kinahan.
“But that doesn’t make it right, or acceptable,” said Mr Fahy. “Acceptable for what?” said Mr Kinahan.
“Perhaps to prevent a disaster in which 48 people died?,” asked Mr Fahy.
“Yes, no it shouldn’t ... No one who should die enjoying themselves,” said Mr Kinahan.
Intervened
Mr Fahy read extracts from Mr Kinahan’s evidence to the 1981 Keane tribunal in which he had said there was a policy that if a garda or a fire inspector called they would be kept in conversation so someone could make sure all exits were open.
“Do you understand how serious that is?” asked Mr Fahy. “No,” said Mr Kinahan.
“You don’t understand how serious it would be that you and another employee of the Stardust would have a plan in place to delay an inspector or a guard so you could get things shipshape before they start looking around?” asked the lawyer.
“I understand it’s very, very serious .. but it didn’t happen. You are putting questions I don’t understand. Where is this coming from?” Mr Kinahan said.
Coroner Myra Cullinane intervened to say: “Mr Kinahan you are answering questions at fresh inquests into the deaths of those 48 people who lost their lives and we are trying to put forward evidence for the jury. There is a jury here ... We are not finding fault or exonerating anyone. It is simply to establish the facts.
“Most of the witnesses who come to the inquests, even though it is a long time ago, should be in a position to recall as much as they can to assist the jury ... That is what this is about.”
“I will give you as much as I can recall ... but I just don’t remember everything,” he said.
Mr Kinahan will resume giving evidence on Wednesday.
