In the early hours of 14 February 1981, a fire broke out at the Stardust nightclub in Artane, Dublin which was filled with more than 800 people.

The blaze killed 48 people and injured 200. A tribunal in 1983 found the cause to be probable arson.

This was rejected by many victims' families and survivors and the ruling was dismissed in 2009. Fresh inquests were granted in 2019. In April 2024, the jury returned a verdict of unlawful killing. The Irish prime minister made a state apology.

Antoinette Keegan survived the fire but lost two sisters. She tells Jen Dale her memories of that night and how it felt to get an unlawful killing verdict decades later.

Witness History is a short BBC World Service podcast about history that takes you inside big moments from the past through first-hand testimony and archive. Each weekday, in around nine minutes, we revisit one moment that helped shape the world and hear it through the voice of someone who was there. Scientists, artists, campaigners, soldiers, leaders and everyday people tell their true stories.

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If you’re new to Witness History, the appeal is simple: real voices, one strong true story, and a fresh way to understand today through events from history – all in the time it takes to enjoy a cup of tea or a walk around the block. Join millions of BBC World Service podcast listeners around the globe and enjoy the insight, context and detail Witness History will bring you.

(Photo: Stardust nightclub. Credit: Independent News and Media/Getty Images)