A SURVIVOR of the Stardust tragedy has said the opening of a new arts space at the site of the blaze is a “bittersweet moment”.
Some 48 people died when a fire broke out in the Dublin nightclub in the early hours of February 14, 1981.
An inquest into the deaths, which concluded earlier this year, returned a verdict of ‘unlawful killing’ regarding each person who died in the fire.
Since 2020 the site, called Artane Place, has been managed by Xestra Asset Management.
The firm has liaised with the families of the victims of the tragedy, as well as Dublin City Council and the local community, on plans to redevelop it.
To date the firm has supported an annual vigil, marking the lives of those affected by the fire, and the erection of a memorial wall, which was unveiled on the 42nd anniversary of the tragedy.
Over the weekend the organisation unveiled the new Artane Artist Studios which are now located at the site.
“It’s hard to put into words how one will feel about the old Stardust building, the site on which 48 young people were unlawfully killed on February 14, 1981,” Stardust survivor Jim Fitzpatrick said.
Regarding the new artists spaces now located there, he added: “It’s a bittersweet moment for most of the families of victims’ and the survivors who will be attending the unveiling and new opening, yet it is so lovely to see that there is a new feel and a fresh beginning on the site in Artane Place.”
The Artane Artist Studios boast ten new, state-of-the-art spaces which have been allocated to ten artists following two rounds of shortlisting and interviews through an open call process.
Those artists are Chris Judge, Lynda Devenney, Caitriona Ni Mhurchu, Sinead Lawlor, Jennifer Dwyer, Malene Jacobson Brazel, Sharon O Callaghan, Cara Thorpe and Gemma Kane.
The artists space was formally opened over the weekend (Pics: Dublin City Council)“On hearing I had been awarded a space in Artane Studios, my first reaction was what a profound act of generosity it is from the families and survivors of Stardust to allow an artist to create in this space, and my second, was how hopeful it is that a slow and collaborative approach to the art made here might find ways of not only highlighting this physical nexus of memory, trauma and history, but maybe even go some tiny way towards healing those invisible lines,” theatre artist Ní Mhurchú said.
On Sunday, December 8 the new art studios were formally opened by Deputy Lord Mayor of Dublin, Donna Cooney.
“Dublin’s unique character is deeply intertwined with its vibrant artistic community,” Ms Cooney said.
“We recognize the recent loss of artist workspaces and have a long-term plan to address this shortage.
“This includes the provision that five per cent of all new developments in Dublin will be allocated to creative/cultural and community use and working with developers to create lasting artist workspaces, and reviving existing buildings to provide affordable options.”
The new spaces have been funded by the Irish Government’s Space To Create initiative.
Announced earlier this year, under the scheme the Government has pledged to develop 60 artist workspaces in Dublin with funding support of €3m coming from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, €3million from Dublin City Council and a further €3million from a philanthropic donor – who wishes to remain anonymous.