Stardust campaigner and survivor Antoinette Keegan is to run for election as a National Party candidate in the Dublin constituency of Fingal East.
Ms Keegan, 62, said the Stardust tragedy, which claimed the lives of 48 young people, would be her main campaign issue, but would also pledge to improve housing and hospitals.
Her sisters Mary, 19, and Martina, 16, died after a fire broke out at a Valentine’s Day event in 1981 at the popular Stardust nightclub.
She and her late parents have been to the fore of the more than 40-year campaign for justice for the victims, the injured and their families.
In April, an inquest concluded that the 48 victims who died in the fire had been unlawfully killed, after which Taoiseach Simon Harris delivered a State apology to the families in the Dail.
Stardust survivor Antoinette Keegan, who lost her two sisters Mary and Martina, outside Dublin Coroner’s Court (PA)
“My life has literally run around politics, through this Stardust tragedy, because it was always against governments and fighting the campaign for truth and justice,” Ms Keegan told the PA news agency.
“We knew it was wrong from day dot one, and the government knew it was wrong, but the government shut the doors on us and what we had to do for 43 years… my parents both should still be alive today.”
Ms Keegan’s father John died aged 49 and her mother Christine died in July 2020 aged 84.
Ms Keegan continued: “It should have never taken 43 years, but it was the political power that done this to us, and that’s one of the reasons for running.”
She said that some of the Stardust families will be involved in her campaign for election.
Ms Keegan said there are many issues important to working class communities, including to housing, hospitals, and hospitality.
President of Ireland Michael D Higgins with Stardust survivor and campaigner Antoinette Keegan (PA)
“I know it’s not going to be sorted overnight, because it’s a long time that these problems has been ongoing. But the fact of the matter is I want to make a change, if I can, and that’s my reason for running.”
Though the government announced in August that there will be a redress scheme for the Stardust families worth 24 million euro, that has not yet been paid over to the families or the survivors of the tragedy, Ms Keegan said.
She said there has also been no update on progressing the unlawful killing inquest verdict.
Among her other campaign pledges are to end homelessness, provide a more transparent and updated social housing list, increase the number of affordable homes, invest in hospitals and provide healthcare for the elderly.
She will also call for building regulations and recommendations to be implemented and for more funding for the Dublin Fire Brigade.
The three sitting TDs in Fingal East are Housing Minister and Fianna Fail TD Darragh O’Brien, Fine Gael TD Alan Farrell and Labour TD Duncan Smith.
Asked if she thinks the government would be intimidated by her running for election, she said: “I don’t know about that but I’ll rattle their cage anyway.”