‘Sad day for democracy’ as Collins family driven from Limerick

The mayor of Limerick has described the departure of gangland crime victim Steve Collins and his family from the city, as a “sad day for Irish democracy”.

Mr Collins, his wife Carmel, sons and daughters — with their partners and children — left the country yesterday to an undisclosed location as part of a Garda relocation programme.

The family were forced to leave Ireland because of unrelenting threats by members of the gang behind the murder of Steve’s son, Roy, in 2009. The father of two was shot dead in his amusement arcade business, which he ran next to his father’s pub in Roxboro. He died in a pool of blood in his father’s arms.

Steve and his sons, Steve Jnr and Ryan Lee, removed all furniture from the pub last week before shutting it for good. Yesterday, black shutters were down at the pub, which will stay closed until a new owner can be found.

The only sign connecting the Collins to the area is a wall plaque unveiled two years ago in Roy’s memory.

Approached in recent days about his plans to leave the country, Mr Collins said: “I can’t talk now. I’m going on a holiday. I’m on my way to pick up my wife and I can’t talk about my security.”

Garda security detail has been protecting and following Mr Collins and his family 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for the past three years.

Yesterday, mayor Jim Long said: “It’s a sad day for democracy. But I have to respect Steve Collins’ decision. I know he wanted closure — even though he can never really find closure. It’s a sad day it has come to this because I do not want a message to go out that the perpetrators have won.

“They had to sit up and see what way they had to formalise their lives. It was their only option. They have to live in a safe environment — maybe the State couldn’t provide it.

“It must have been a huge strain emotionally, mentally, and physically. You have to admire him [Steve]. I wish him all the best,” he said.

Limerick’s top garda, Chief Supt David Sheahan, confirmed yesterday’s relocation was the result of more than a year’s planning.

“This didn’t happen overnight. It’s taken 15 or 16 months’ work,” he said.

“It’s not something that was dreamt up. A substantial amount of my role as chief superintendent was taken up with this. It’s not something that just fell out of the sky.

“They’ll be able to try and go back to living some sort of normal life.”

The Collins family will keep their identities and will work in jobs that have been organised for them.

Life changed for the Collins family on Dec 19, 2004. Steve’s adopted son, Ryan Lee, was shot after refusing the 14-year-old sister of Wayne Dundon entry to the family’s pub.

No one has ever been convicted of carrying out the shooting, but Dundon was jailed for seven years for threatening to kill the 18-year-old barman on the night of the attack.

The Collins family, who gave evidence against Dundon, were threatened and pursued by the Dundon/McCarthy gang ever since.

However, in Apr 2009, the Collins’ lives took an even worse turn when eldest son Roy was shot dead.

James Dillon, of no fixed abode, was jailed for life in 2010 for the killing.