Gardaí in Limerick are still questioning two men over the murder yesterday of 35-year-old father of two Roy Collins at a pub in the city.
A massive murder investigation is under way and gardaí are investigating if the murder may be linked to threats made against his family four years ago when his cousin gave evidence in court against a leading McCarthy-Dundon gang member.
Two men, aged 19 and 22, are being questioned about the murder. One of the men is a key suspect in the investigation into the mistaken identity murder of rugby player Shane Geoghegan in Limerick last November.
Mr Collins’s family had been issued with gangland threats in the past and gardaí are investigating if those threats are linked to yesterday’s murder.
Mr Collins was a cousin of Limerick man Ryan Lee. Mr Lee was working as barman in Brannigan’s pub, Mulgrave Street, Limerick, on December 19th, 2004, when he refused to serve alcohol to a 14-year-old girl.
The child’s brother, gangland figure Wayne Dundon, was with her at the time. Dundon made a shape of a gun with his hand and pushed it against Mr Lee’s face, saying “f*** you, you’re dead”.
Less than 30 minutes later a man wearing a helmet entered Brannigan’s pub armed with a sawn-off shotgun. He singled out Mr Lee and shot him twice in the knee and hip.
Wayne Dundon (31), Lenihan Avenue, Prospect, was later sentenced to 10 years for threatening Mr Lee, although nobody was ever convicted of shooting the 19-year-old barman. His sentence was later reduced to seven years.
While Mr Lee is a cousin of yesterday’s murder victim Roy Collins, they were reared as brothers. Mr Collins’s father, Steve Collins, is Mr Lee’s legal guardian.
The Collins family own Brannigan’s pub where Mr Lee was shot.
Speaking today, the Minister for Defence Willie O’Dea said he had been approached by Mr Collins’s father in relation to the threats but "never realised for a moment that another member of the family could be actually gunned down in this fashion".
The Minister described the Collins family as a “decent, respectful, good business family”.
He said one of the family happened to give evidence “in a certain court case a number of years ago and gardaí are matching certain suspicions that that event triggered the chain of incidents which in this dastardly murder.”
Mr O’Dea said locals were “shocked and horrified” by the murder and that has now given way to a “very very deep anger”.
The Minister said the people behind the scenes giving the orders need to “be targeted” but admitted it is difficult for gardaí because of “the climate of fear and intimidation” surrounding gangland crime in Limerick.
He said the Government hopes new covert surveillance legislation “would act as the corroboration to enable us to put those people away”.
This evening Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy strongly condemned the murder and pledged that no resource will be sparred in bringing those responsible to justice.
He said: “The Garda force in Limerick have my full support in confronting and facing down the criminals who seek to destroy the good name of the city of Limerick.
“I am conscious of the difficulties facing potential witnesses in these cases but I am determined to ensure that intimidation will not be allowed to disrupt the criminal justice process,” he added.