Three of my Grandma's children were among the 48 young victims who lost their lives in the Valentine’s Day disco fire, in the Stardust Nightclub, Artane in 1981.
My Grandmother has been fighting for justice and the truth for more than 42 years, alongside her other children, the other relatives of the victims, and survivors, in the 'Justice for the 48 Committee'. They want to know why, after numerous problems were reported about the Stardust preceding the fire, did Dublin City Council allow the club to open that night, why were the fire doors chained shut, and why no one was ever held accountable for the loss of 48 young lives?
My efforts with this project aim to maintain the disaster in the minds of younger generations by assisting my family, other families, and the survivors’ to be heard after decades of long struggle. Utilising contemporary publications, photography, and posters will help share their stories and challenges.
The purpose of this contemporary publication, is to visually narrate through typography and photography, the story of the 1981 Stardust fire disaster. Using personal interviews, photography and research as well as excerpts from the 2006 book, 'They Never Came Home:The Stardust Story' by Tony McCullagh and Neil Fetherstonhaugh, the design is intended to have an effect on the reader and maintain the topic in the public's attention.
‘Söhne’, a sans-serif typeface designed by Kris Sowersby is used throughout the project. Cover, silver embossing powder applied to wet Riso ink and then heated, on 290gsm Sirio ultra black paper.
The names of the 48 victims who died in the Stardust nightclub are illuminated in silver, standing out against the darkness of the black paper. The 'Justice for the Stardust 48' members frequently employ the colour black, an analogy of when the club's lights went out. After 42 years of fighting, a new inquest into the fire is underway.
The ethos of Swiss design is used as it pursues objectivity and favours clear communication.
The extensive research into the disaster's early years undertook by authors, Tony McCullagh and Neil Fetherstonhaugh was central to this project. The project’s design goal was to streamline, filter, and emphasise the most crucial details up to the 2023 inquest. Included are personal interviews conducted with my family, the McDermotts, who campaigned for justice, but who did not discuss the tragedy during the time of Tony and Neil's study.
Publication with 8 chapter and interlude pages on 115gsm Ultra Black Sirio paper with silver embossed type.
Publication features 35mm black-and-white photos, personally taken during the period from the opening of the new memorial on the site of the Stardust on the 42nd anniversary of the tragedy until the 2023 inquest on April 25.
Other than the black Sirio paper, the publication is printed on 100gsm Munken pure paper.
Printed A1 posters using silver embossing technique used on the publication. Purpose of posters are to respectfully and effectively call attention to five of the subject's most important issues.
The posters in use at the start of the new inquest into the fire. The inquest started with ‘pen portraits’ of the victims loved ones at the Pillar Rooms, April 25th, 2023.