The father of Roy Collins, who was shot dead in Limerick yesterday, has spoken of his family's utter devastation and heartbreak over the murder of his son.
Steve Collins said believes his son was targeted because his family gave evidence in court four years ago against Wayne Dundon, a member of one of the families at the centre of a violent and long-running feud in Limerick city.
Gardaí are continuing to question two men in connection with the shooting of the 34-year-old, father-of-two at the family's pub in Roxboro Shopping Centre.
Mr Collins described his son Roy as full of joy in life and a really hard-worker who just loved his two girls.
He said his family had continued to be intimidated and received threats after they gave evidence at Dundon’s trial in 2005.
However, they thought after the Shane Geoghegan murder in Limerick last November that the nightmare the family had been living through would ease off. But it did not, leading to yesterday’s violent and tragic events.
Mr Collins said his family had been completely devastated by what had happened to them.
He said they had been completely traumatised in recent years and they did not think they would ever recover from the violent death of his son Roy.
He said he believes the family did the right thing at the time by giving evidence at Dundon’s trial, that they had discussed it as a family, but had paid the ultimate price.
Assistant Commissioner Kevin Ludlow and senior members of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation were briefed at Roxboro Garda Station last night by the team investigating the murder.
One of the men being detained in connection with Mr Collins' murder is in his 20s and the other in his late teens.
They were arrested yesterday afternoon.
A black Mercedes car, which gardaí believe was used in the shooting, was found a short distance away.
Speaking on RTÉ's News at One, Minister for Defence and Limerick TD Willie O'Dea said the people behind the scenes giving the orders for such killings had to be targeted.
He said the Cabinet had approved this week proposed covert surveillance legislation, promised by the Government following the murder of Shane Geoghegan last November.
He also said that local people were horrified and deeply angered by what he described as a ghastly murder.
