Stardust campaigner and survivor Antoinette Keegan, who lost two sisters in the fire, has described falling unconscious as she tried to escape out of the burning building, and how she thought was going to die in the blaze.

She was giving evidence today at the inquests into the deaths of the 48 people who lost their lives in the 1981 St Valentine's Day disaster at the Artane nightclub.

Two of her sisters who were there that night - Mary who was 19 and Martina who was 16 - were both killed in the blaze. The court was told how her brother, John, was also meant to attend the disco but was refused entry for being too young.

She described how he first noticed smoke seeping across the ceiling and first thought it was a DJ’s special effect.

Antoinette Keegan also said when she first saw the fire it was around 18 inches high and thought it was "controllable".

She recalled how the DJ made an initial announcement to stay calm but then around three minutes later, another announcement was made for people to make their way to the exits.

She said there were people pushing and trying to kick open the doors at exit 5 and told the court how she and her group then headed for exit 4.

Describing it was a "stampede", she said they were pushed to the floor by the force of people trying to get out and show she was trampled on. She also said parts of the ceiling were coming down on top of them. "It was pandemonium," she said, adding: "It’s a memory I have and will never forget".

Reading from a statement, she also described the intense heat.

"I remember a ball of flame coming towards us and I put my hands over my head. The heat of the fire was so hot, and the thick black smoke, we couldn't breathe, I thought this is it we are dead," she said.

"I saw a person, which I couldn't identify whether it was male or female in a ball of flames under the table and they just kept rolling over screaming. After that I just remember my last words 'oh god please help us’, after that I was unconscious," she said.

"I was confined to bed on a life support machine and could not move for almost two weeks. I remember being anointed four times by a priest and really thought this is it, I am going to die"

Ms Keegan also told the court how she and her sisters were holding on to each other’s hands as she passed out.

They were around six feet from the exit doors at that stage, she said. The court heard how Antoinette Keegan was dragged out and how her hands had to be kicked to get them released.

The court was then shown a body location map, detailing where those who died were located inside the club. It showed a cluster of bodies, which Des Fahy KC said was either close to or at the spot where Ms Keegan had described.

The court was told that as well as losing her two sisters, five of friends were also killed - Mary Kenny (19) Michael French (19), Michael Griffiths (16), Sandra Lawless (18) and Paula Lewis (19).

At one point she said: "I was never so terrified in my whole life as I was that night".

Ms Keegan also described the aftermath of the fire and her stay in hospital.

"I was confined to bed on a life support machine and could not move for almost two weeks. I remember being anointed four times by a priest and really thought this is it, I am going to die".

She told too of how her parents had initially told her that her sisters Mary and Martina had survived the fire only to be told by a priest, around two and a half weeks after, that they had in fact died. She said he felt she had let her father down because she said she would mind her sisters that night.

"I felt so guilty, I got out of the fire and Mary and Martina were killed," she said.

The court also heard today from Joseph Brown, who was 17 at the time of the fire.

He recalled how when first noticing the fire, "it wasn’t a major thing", but within minutes there was a "waterfall of flames" coming from the curtain and ceiling.

The court heard how he got out exit 4, but "hadn’t a clue it was there".

He said on previous times at the club he would enter through the main door and exit through it when leaving. He said he would see the fire exits locked with chains.

He said he followed people in front and was "hanging on to them like a child hangs on to their mother".

"I just followed where they were going," he said. "I was frightened, I just wanted to get out."

Joseph Brown also told the court that the effects of the Stardust have grown more profound in recent years.

Recalling the darkness of the night, he said he sleeps with the lights on. He also spoke of the loss of 17-year-old Robert Kelly.

Known as "Spiky", he was "my best mate," Mr Brown said.