Former Minister and MEP Gerry Collins, 88, dies

Former Fianna Fáil minister and former Member of the European Parliament Gerry Collins has died at the age of 88.

Collins, a native of Abbeyfeale, passed away peacefully on Sunday at Tralee Hospice in County Kerry after a short illness.

He served as a TD for West Limerick for ten successive Dála, from his first election in 1967 until 1997. During his career he held several cabinet posts, including Minister for Posts and Telegraphs (1970‑1973), Minister for Justice (1977‑1981 and 1987‑1989) and Minister for Foreign Affairs (1982 and 1989‑1992).

Collins was elected to the European Parliament for the Munster constituency in 1994 and served until 2004. In June 1998 he was elected Vice‑President of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, winning 322 votes to 141 against a Green Party candidate.

The Collins political dynasty dates back to his father James Collins, who represented West Limerick from 1948 to 1967. Gerry’s brother Michael Collins served as a TD from 1997 to 2007, and his nephew Niall Collins is currently Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

Tributes highlighted his long service and mentorship within Irish politics.

Source: Limerick Post. Photo: Lajos Kristóf Kántor / Pexels.