Thousands protest at gangland violence

THOUSANDS of people took part in yesterday’s protest march against gangland violence in Limerick.

Most of the mass gathering wore red as a mark of solidarity with the family of Roy Collins, the latest murder victim of the city’s feuding gangs.

The protest was organised by Stephen Collins, father of the 35-year-old businessman who was shot dead in the family owned pub/arcade in Roxboro Shopping centre on April 9.

Steve Collins said he hoped the demonstration would pressure the Government into pushing through tough new anti-gangland laws.

“People are sick of this,” he said of the city’s gun violence. “They haven’t had a chance to stand up and be counted before.”

All the main political parties were represented and family members of the victims of Limerick’s gangs also came out to protest.

Supporting the huge protest, the Bishop of Limerick, Dr Donal Murray, had a special appeal and prayer read out at all Sunday Masses in the diocese.

More than 5,000 people gathered in Perry Square at 3pm before moving to City Hall at Merchant’s Quay where Mayor John Gilligan sent out a clear message to the criminal gangs: “The people of Limerick city are sick of these criminals; they have never represented us and don’t represent what we are about. They want nothing to do with us and quite frankly we want nothing to do with them. We are going to have a parting of the ways on this. These cruel heartless monsters who have inflicted so much on our city. People without any love, without any compassion, without any grief: all the noble things which distinguish us from the beast.”

After addressing the gathering, Stephen Collins broke down saying: “From the bottom of my broken heart, thank you.”

Dublin solicitor John Hennessy travelled under armed Garda escort from Dublin to attend. The gang who murdered Baita Saulite in Swords in November 2006 has threatened to murder him, because he dared to defend the young mother in a family law case. Limerick’s McCarthy-Dundon gang are suspected of having a part in her murder.

Gemma Coleman, whose son Pat was stabbed to death on September 3, 2007, also marched along with representatives of the families of murdered rugby player Shane Geoghegan, and security man Brian Fitzgerald who lost their lives at the hands of the McCarthy-Dundon gang.

The strong political presence was led by Minister for Defence Willie O’Dea, Labour frontbench spokes-woman Jan O’Sullivan, Fine Gael deputy finance spokesman Kieran O’Donnell and Senator Dan Boyle of the Green Party. Addressing the rally outside City Hall, Mayor Gilligan praised Steve Collins for organising the march: “He has shown courage, leadership and commitment to ensure that we have an ordinary civilised society where people can carry on their business, live their lives and play sport without having to worry about the consequences of what these evil people are doing... The city will continue, it will grow, it will prosper. But that cannot happen in tandem with people whose only interest is to spread the disease of drugs and inflict appalling injuries and death on people as they see fit. This is not acceptable. We cannot sit back and let other people set the agenda. So today it’s a call on the minister for justice to take a look at what’s happened, see what we can do to change it and then go ahead and change it. If we need to introduce new legislation, so be it. If we need a constitutional referendum, so be it. It would be a terrible indictment of the Collins family, if we walked away from here today and simply did nothing.”

In his address, Stephen Collins said his family felt the murder of his son should not have gone by without some message to the thugs who, he said, had destroyed their lives.

He added: “By your actions today you have spoken and said ‘we have had enough of the low-life mutants that have eaten into the fabric of our society like a cancer which must be cut out’. We need the laws that are proposed to be put into place now and the Government should look at internment as a serious option. Fifty to 100 people taken off our streets, and everybody knows who they are, and we can reclaim our city. The time for talking now is over. ”

The protest concluded with Denis O’Toole playing the Limerick Lament on the uilleann pipes.