Words can't explain what that child meant to me, says father of tragic Limerick toddler

A Limerick man has told how he "lost the best part" of his life when told his two-year old son was found dead in his home.

Toddler Robert Kelly, known by his family as "a little rogue" was found unresponsive in his home on Parnell Street, Limerick, by his uncle Damien after going for a nap, the boy's father said.

It is understood that there was no physical sign of injury on the boy's body.

In an emotional interview, Robert Kelly, 21, said: "He was a good lad. He was perfect. This shouldn't have happened.

"I love my son and there was nothing suspicious about what happened him."

Mr Kelly said he was forced to speak publicly after certain people had spread rumours that there may have been something suspicious about his son's death.

"The child died from a cot death," the devastated father said.

A post mortem is to be carried out today to try to ascertain the exact cause of death. No foul play is suspected.

Gardaí however stated they would not comment until they received the results of the autopsy.

Mr Kelly, a nephew of the late former Independent Limerick City Councillor Michael Kelly and also Anthony Kelly, who would both have been known to Gardaí, had left his child in the care of his brother Damien to go to a pre arranged appointment at University Hospital Limerick.

He said his brother Damien, 20, telephoned him around 4:20pm to say Robert, aged two, would not wake up.

"I went to the hospital and they were happy out, watching telly and (Damien) was just minding the child as per usual. I got a phone call...Straight away I freaked," Mr Kelly said.

"My brother Damien was minding my son. Damien is 20 years of age and he is more than capable of minding my son."

[comment] Robert Kelly, 21, father of Robert Kelly (2), (2nd from the right in between his mother Elaine and sister Shauna. Also pictured (2nd from left) is Damien Kelly who his family say found the boy dead in his cot. Also pictured is Luke Kelly far left, brother of Damien and Robert.[/comment]

Utterly heartbroken, Mr Kelly -- who was the sole carer for his son -- described how he had come from a broken home and how he had promised little Robert that he would never want for anything.

"I'm a single father and I fought for my son from the day he was born. I'm in and out of courts to get full custody. I'm actually next week, supposed to go to the courts to verify the full custody on paper and I was proud."

"This is a (natural causes death) but because of my family (name), and just because some of us might do wrong, you can't bend everyone with the one brush and just automatically kick into gear that something is wrong."

Mr Kelly's uncle Mickey died in June 2004, four weeks after sustaining a single gunshot wound to his head at his mother's house in Limerick.

Gardaí believe he took his own life, although the gun was never found.

Robert Kelly lovingly described his son as the "only reason" he got out of bed in the morning.

"He was always a happy go lucky youngfella, he was always sound as a pound," he said.

"He was overfed, if anything, well looked after, only two weeks ago I brought him for a health check and he got the all clear. Everything was perfect."

"He was a very jolly child. He was always in your face. He was a rouge.

"He knew that if he wasn't getting what he wanted he'd come over kissing you to rogue you around, to get biscuits up in the press or a packet of crisps."

"He loved doing normally baby stuff. Getting up to mischief. You'd have to keep the front door locked.

"I had a fish tank with a load of fish for him that I'm going to have to get rid of now. He loved it and I was always trying to teach him to say 'fishies'. He was just a normal kid."

Trying to come to terms with the shock of Robert's death, his father said he had "plans to bring him out into the countryside and rear him there", "because this (city) is no place to be rearing children".

"All them plans were put to a stop today."

He added: "I was planning a good old life for us both. He's not even dead a few hours and it's very hurtful to think that straight away people jumped, thinking: 'Oh they're this family or they're that', or 'God only knows what happened that child', and that is very unfair.

"I don't care, but that child was loved. He was loved so much.

"He was a free spirit. He knew he was loved. You'd have to have eyes on the back of your head to watch him. Normal stuff. He was the picture of health. I was blessed that he was always normal and healthy."

He also described how that past 16 months of being Robert's full-time carer were the best days of his life.

"He was a clever little child and I was loving the whole lot of it, loving having him to myself. It was beautiful."

"It was something that wasn't done for me, so I was making sure he had a good life."

"I had him (myself) nearly 16 months. I was just enjoying my life with my son, having him and looking after him and trying to do the best for him."

He described last Christmas as one of the best he'd ever had.

"I always told him - and I know he couldn't really understand me -- when I'd be lying down (in bed) next to him - I'd say: 'I'm gonna give you a good life and you'll never be deprived'.

"And, do you know what he would do? He would try and give me a kiss. That's exactly what he would do. I swear. I know he couldn't interpret what I was saying to him, but I knew he was loved."

Fighting back the tears, Mr Kelly said: "I couldn't have been better to him, at least for his small time here. I know that I did the best I could for him."

"When he came into my life, it changed everything. Everything it changed. He was everything."

"Words wouldn't be able to explain what that child meant to me and what he done for my life, and I had planned a good life for him."