Former Mayor of Limerick and general election candidate to step down from politics

FORMER Mayor of Limerick and general election candidate, James Collins, has announced he will not be standing at the next local elections.

The Dooradoyle-based publican, who topped the poll at the 2019 local election and contested the general election just six months later, confirmed in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that he is to step down from representative politics, after 15 years.

He confirmed: "This week I have informed Fianna Fáil that I will not be seeking a nomination for the upcoming selection convention for Limerick City West. Recent times have been difficult for everybody. The last 16 months have been especially difficult for our family."

He says its been a "privilege" to have served both the Adare electoral area - where he was first elected in 2009 - and City West, where he was returned in both 2014 and 2019.

"I would like to thank everybody who voted for me, all my family and friends who assisted me along the way, my colleagues in Fianna Fáil, fellow councillors and officials in Limerick County Council and Limerick City and County Council and the various associated organisations and bodies I served on also. Best of luck to the next councillor," he added.

This week I have informed Fianna Fáil that I will not be seeking a nomination for the upcoming the selection convention for Limerick City West.

Recent times have been difficult for everybody. The last 16 months have been especially difficult for our family.

— James Collins (@jamesjcollins) October 16, 2023

The news represents a blow for Fianna Fail, with Cllr Collins, the owner of Collins' Bar in Dooradoyle, a huge vote-getter locally.

In 2009, during a very bad local election for Fianna Fail, he defied expectations, taking the fifth seat in the then Adare ward.

Then in 2014 and 2019, he topped the poll in the City West ward which was created following the merger of Limerick County Council with Limerick City Council.

Off the back of his strong showing in 2014, Cllr Collins, a cousin of County Limerick TD and Minister of State Niall Collins, weighed up running in the 2016 general election, but ultimately decided against it, as Fianna Fail ran only one candidate in the city.

However, in February 2020, with his party losing votes to a resurgent Sinn Fein, the councillor failed to secure a second Fianna Fail seat alongside Willie O'Dea in the Limerick City general election constituency.

There were high hopes he would win his party a second City seat, with Fianna Fail leader, An Tanaiste Micheál Martin making several visits to the city to promote his candidacy.

He was elected as Mayor of Limerick for 2018/2019, and followed this up with a term as Limerick's first metropolitan district leader for 2019/2020.

The father-of-four is steeped in Limerick politics: as well as Niall Collins, his uncle is former Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Justice Gerry Collins.

It's believed Mr Collins has been weighing up his political future for some time, and Fianna Fail's delay in holding a selection convention for the local election, which takes place next June, is due to this.

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In his posting to X, he referred to the past 16 months being difficult for his family. Last year, he lost his brother-in-law, good friend and fellow councillor Jerry O'Dea, just days before the Mulgrave Street publican was to become Mayor of Limerick.

The late Mr O'Dea's father, John-Joe passed away almost exactly 12 months later.

Councillor Collins's decision to step down opens up a vacancy for Fianna Fail in the Raheen/Dooradoyle area, one of the most populous suburbs of the city.

At present, the only other Fianna Fail councillor serving City West - which stretches from the heart of the city out to Patrickswell and Ballybrown - is the current metropolitan district leader, Cllr Abul Kalam Azad Talukder.

He is based at Steamboat Quay in the city centre.