Daddy told my brother to move to Dublin from Belfast to keep out of harm's way'

Sister says father blamed himself for son's death in disco horror blaze

- FIONA MAGENNIS

THE father of a Stardust victim encouraged him to move from Belfast to Dublin to keep him “out of harm’s way” during the Troubles. 

James [ Jim] Millar’s sister Laura yesterday told the inquest into the disaster that the decision always came back “to haunt our dad” who blamed himself for the 21-year-old’s death.

She told how her younger brother, Martin, who was just 12 at the time, also “blamed himself ” for his sibling’s passing.

The last time he had seen Jim, the pair got into a “silly argument” and as he walked out the door Martin shouted after him: “I wish you were dead.”

Laura told the jury at Dublin Coroner’s Court: “He was only 12 years old, but he closed himself up and it was weeks before we learned what had taken place.”

She said he blamed himself for what happened right up until his death three years ago and “never got over it”.

Laura recalled she and her friend Patsy had been due to travel to Dublin to attend the 1981 Stardust dance competition with Jim and his friends but in the end decided not to go.