Millie and Gavin's wounded faces shocked the nation . . .
But has anything really changed since then?
Just over three years ago, two young children were turned into screaming human fireballs when a petrol bomb was thrown into their mother's car. The nation was stunned by the sickening act in the crime-infested Limerick suburb of Moyross, which left Millie (6) and Gavin (4) Murray fighting for their lives.
As my new book, Mean Streets, shows, this was just the latest atrocity committed across Limerick as the city's neglected suburbs imploded and the criminal gangs engaged in ruthless tit-for-tat violence. But outrage at the petrol-bomb atrocity meant that the Government could no longer turn a blind eye to the festering issue.
The then Justice Minister Michael McDowell appointed former Dublin city manager John Fitzgerald to tackle the social disorder. His initial task was to come up with recommendations for four of the city's most deprived areas -- Moyross, St Mary's Park, Ballinacurra Weston and Southill.
Following Mr Fitzgerald's 2007 report, the Limerick regeneration agencies were established with Brendan Kenny, who oversaw the redevelopment of Ballymun and the Fatima Mansions in Dublin, appointed as chief executive. President Mary McAleese visited the regeneration areas in early 2008 and a new dawn seemed on the horizon for estates which Mr Fitzgerald and Mr Kenny both previously acknowledged were on the brink of spiralling out of control.
Some 12 months ago, €3bn (public and private finance) masterplans for the four areas to transform the neighbourhoods over 10 years were unveiled. But despite all the promises made by the Fianna Fail-led Government on their commitment to sign up to whatever Mr Fitzgerald recommended, the Cabinet has still not adopted the ambitious plans as official policy. On the ground, it is hoped that the Government will formally adopt them this month.
Take a trip into Moyross or St Mary's Park and there is little sign that any physical transformation is yet under way. A total of just over €42m has been invested by the Government into Limerick's regeneration over the last three years, but newcomers to the city are still horrified when they encounter the rows of burnt-out houses standing in Southill.
One Irishman, who served in several hostile territories with the French Foreign Legion and now works in Iraq protecting businessmen, told me on a trip through O'Malley Park that the numerous shells of abandoned homes were the worst sight he had ever encountered. Just over 200 houses have been demolished in the four areas, and to the disappointment of Brendan Kenny, not a single new home has been constructed yet. But looking ahead, Mr Kenny is both an optimist and realist.
"This will take time. There has been progress, obviously not enough, but there is very strong Government support for regeneration in Limerick. We are in for the long haul and there has been progress -- although we would like to have seen more," he said. "We said publicly that we would like to have seen some houses started in the autumn of 2009 and obviously that has not happened, but the whole world has been turned upside down in recent times. The masterplans were unveiled in October 2008. Unfortunately for us, it was the worst time in the last 100 years in relation to the economy.
"Obviously, we need money to get things going, but a lot of good work has been going on behind the scenes."
Both Mr Kenny and Mr Fitzgerald emphasise that the social regeneration is the most important aspect and that this is underway. But as with all other initiatives, finance is key. And the regeneration agencies are looking to open a lot of locks.
"Hopefully, we will know before Christmas what funds will be there for 2010. We hope that it will be at least what was available for 2009 (€26m), but if we got the same funding for next year as last year, it is not enough.
"To really get this going and off the ground, we would want to be getting €100m a year for it to be happening, but we'll take it as it comes," Mr Kenny said. "The worry we would have is if we don't do the detailed planning and designing now, certainly there will be delays next year and the following year. All the radical recommendations in the masterplan are required. This is a job that has to be done and will be done."
Working as mid-western correspondent for Independent Newspapers and based in Limerick, I have witnessed first hand the violence, social deprivation and destruction wrought by Limerick's criminals.
Mean Streets traces the origins of Limerick's troubled suburbs and estates and how they suffered the worst atrocities committed by Limerick criminal gangs. It documents the intensive garda operations in their ongoing battle against some of the country's most notorious criminals who have killed 19 men in Limerick since 2000.
Experienced state solicitor Michael Murray warns that the drug-dealing outfits must be brought to justice soon or the future implications could be far worse. The book also reveals the hopes and plans for the future of Limerick's previously neglected areas.
Three years on from the arson attack, Millie and Gavin's wounds are still healing. They receive regular medical treatment and have to use special creams twice a day. Their psychological trauma remains. In the meantime, the hope for thousands of children living in the regeneration areas is that such events will become a far-off distant memory from a Limerick consigned to the past.
Mean Streets: Limerick's Gangland by Barry Duggan, mid-western correspondent for Independent Newspapers, will be published next week by The O'Brien Press at €11.99
Irish Independent
