Moyross to med tech: Limerick man's journey to overcome 'old perceptions' of his home

FROM MOYROSS to med tech, Desmond Collins has had quite a journey, and he remains “deeply proud” of where he's from.

Now a senior manager at a med tech company in Castletroy, Desmond,  38, never shies away from his roots.

He refused to use a different address on job applications to avoid the stigma when he was young, instead choosing to push through the “old perceptions” that people had about his home.

“It used to annoy me,” Desmond said, “as if being from Moyross made success unexpected.”

Now, he has a far greater understanding of how his childhood shaped who he is, and a far greater appreciation for the sacrifices his parents made to make sure he had every opportunity possible.

“It's only now I recognise that the times when they would leave my brother and sister and me in the kitchen to eat dinner and they would go into the sitting room - it was because there wasn't enough food for them.”

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Education was another priority for his parents, with homework always being done the second they got home, before they were allowed to play outside.

Desmond admits he had “no interest” in college, but his parents’ encouraged him to go to the then-LIT, “just over the back wall”.

“If my parents didn't do the little things, I wouldn't be where I am today,” he added.

Though he grew up around feuds, drive-bys and raids - which he admits they'd get “serious enjoyment” out of as kids - he maintains the belief that there were “only about four or five bad eggs... there was a lot of lovely people”.

He visits his parents, who still live in Moyross, every weekend. 

He has inherited their passion for education, encouraging young people who come from a similar background to him to pursue third-level education, be it university, a PLC or a trade.