We want to rebuild and come back to Limerick, says dad of slain Roy Collins

The father of murdered amusement arcade owner Roy Collins yesterday spoke of the family’s desire to return to Limerick.

Steve Collins said an inquest yesterday was upsetting but had given the family “some kind of closure”. A murder verdict was returned.

“I just want to get on with my life and, some day, get my life back. It’s been very hard on the family and all these things bring it back up again. This is the last step. At least we got justice and that’s the one thing that has come out of the whole thing.”

He said he was proud of the city and people of Limerick and how it had backed his family. “The gardaí were fantastic and the people of Limerick, without them doing what they did, we would never have got where we got. Now it’s time to get my family and try and rebuild as best we can and one day come back home.”

An inquest heard Roy Collins, aged 35, died from a single gunshot wound to the chest.

On grounds of personal safety and security, the Collins family had been forced to leave Limerick.

But he said: “Justice can be done and it just means giving a bit of information [to the gardaí]. A small bit of information can help a long way. We’ll never get over this.”

He said returning to Limerick was up to the gardaí and security people.

“I am looking forward to some day that they’ll tell me that, and then we can come back and rebuild our lives. I’d love to come back to Limerick again and do that. Again it is something I have to be guided by the people who know best.”

Since the recent murder trial of Wayne Dundon and Nathan Killeen, life he said had been very difficult for the family. He said his wife has not been well since the trial and could not attend yesterday.

“[With the inquest over] It’s a rebuilding process that has to go on now as best we can.”

He said since the gang members were locked up, everything has changed.

“Limerick is a completely different city now... I remember how bad it was when you couldn’t let your children into town. I was talking to people in Dublin and they wouldn’t let their kids come to university here, and things like that because they were afraid for their kids because of these gangs running riot here. It was so bad.

“Now people are stopping me all the time and saying how different it is. People here in Limerick are happy with the way things are and the city is starting to get the reputation it deserves and not the reputation it was always tarnished with. I am delighted about that. It was just a couple of families that done this, destroyed the city and now it’s back to where it should be. A city to be proud of. I am very proud of it anyway.”