The Stardust inquests have heard emotional testimony from a survivor who told the court how she resigned herself to dying as she lay on the ground with a friend who later lost her life in the blaze.
Deborah Osbourne was 19 at the time and was at the disco that night with three other friends, including Sandra Lawless, 18, and Paula Lewis, 19, who both died.
In court today, she recalled that when she first saw the fire it was small, and they decided to go and collect their coats and bags at their table.
She described how the situation then deteriorated rapidly and how all four were holding hands as they made their way to an exit.
Ms Osbourne told the court how she then felt a "bang of heat" on her head, and put her hands to her face.
She said it was this stage that the friends let go of each other. After losing her friends, she was on her own, she said.
"It was survival of the fittest," she said.
Ms Osborne added that the heat was like a "monster… something chasing you".
She eventually fell to the ground and found Ms Lawless.
"We found each other and were hugging each other," Ms Osborne said.
"I had her face in my hands and her face was red and she said ‘Deborah we are going to die’.
"And I said, ‘No, we’re not Sandra’ and the two of us lay down.
"We were happy to find each other."
Ms Osborne described the feeling as the pair were on the floor: "It’s very hard to explain, you are still scared but you don’t feel anything….I hope this brings solace to Sandra’s father and Paula’s mother, you don’t feel anything.
"It’s like you’re going somewhere nice."
The court heard how her other friend, Mary Heeney, shook her and told her to get up and how she initially said 'no, it's OK' before she did get up on all fours and crawl towards the exit.
"To this day, I don’t know why I didn’t take Sandra with me," Ms Osborne said.
"I’m sorry."
She was asked why she lay down, and agreed with Bernard Condon, SC, representing families of the victims that it was "more than likely" due to the inhalation of smoke.
She said the smoke "was like eating coal dust".
The court heard how she was treated for smoke inhalation and burns.
She told the court too that she remains prone to chest infections due to the damage caused to her lungs.
She spoke too of the panic, "people were going in all directions," she said, adding that the fixed furniture inhibited her movement.
Ms Osbourne was also asked about the last time she saw Ms Lewis.
"She was right beside me," she said. "We were holding hands before the monster came."
After her testimony Ms Osbourne embraced the family of Ms Lawless who were present in court.
An 'eerie silence' from exits 4 and 6
The Dublin District Coroner's Court later heard how a then teenager pulled people to safety out of the burning building.
Donal Clinch told how he escaped from exit 5 and then could hear screaming from those still inside.
He said "you couldn’t see them because of the smoke."
He told the court how he went on his hands and knees and felt his way along the inside of the exit and start pulling people out.
He said there was someone on the outside holding onto his legs to ensure he did not go too far inside.
He was asked by Gemma McLoughlin Burke, counsel for the inquests, how many people he helped pull out. "Definitely two," he said. "If not three."
He also said when he got out exit 5, there were people on the grass verge opposite it, and said it struck him as "very strange" there were not others on the verges outside the other exits along that side of the building.
He agreed with Michael O’Higgins, SC, representing families of the victims that there was an "eerie silence" from exits 4 and 6.
Mr Clinch also spoke about his friend John Colgan who lost his life in the disaster.
The pair had lived next door to each other, were on the same football team and were out together that night.
They were on the dancefloor when their attention was drawn to the fire.
He told the court how Mr Colgan went to get his coat because his car keys were in it. That was the last time Mr Clinch saw his friend.
Mr Colgan was 21 years old. His sister Susan Behan was in court, as she was most days, to hear the evidence.
Survivor saw girl 'engulfed in flames'
At one point during his testimony, Donal Clinch said, "I was one of the fortunate ones, very, very fortunate."
The jury also heard how a girl who was heading for an exit was "thrown back" into the ballroom by a "ball of fire" that came from the ceiling.
In a garda statement from Damien Fallon, given three days after the disaster, and read into the record today, he said: "The girl fell on her back. She was screaming and crying. Her hands and legs were sticking up in the air like they were paralysed. She was engulfed in flames."
Mr Fallon, who was 17 years old at the time, also spoke of how he initially did not think the fire was very serious.
"I heard the DJ say there was no need to panic," he said.
He then said he saw "a number of people" kicking exit door number 4, and that "they didn't get it open".
Mr Fallon said around 30 seconds after he made it outside through exit 5, he saw exit 4 opened.
