SPECIAL TRIBUTE BY DAN WALSH
The Arts community across Co. Wexford are numbed and shocked by the sudden loss of Denis Collins, former Artistic Director of Wexford Arts Centre, Gallery Proprietor, Poet, Wexford Arts Hub member and local arts champion.
Denis was a close friend of mine for 30 years, always there when I needed specialist local artistic advice and my annual side-kick on local radio during broadcasts around the time of the Wexford Festival Opera coverage.

A younger Denis Collins in a happy mood, as he always was.

He was passionate about the arts, which is not surprising since he started out as a visual artist having studied at UCD, but he promoted the arts with unrelentless vigour, energy and enthusiasm at a time when the arts was very much a minority interest in Wexford. But he put his shoulder to the wheel and was never deterred when it was revolving slowly.
Denis was an enthusiastic Artistic Director of Wexford Arts Centre from 1990 to 2005, with many notable achievements to his credit at a period when the budget was paltry and the going was tough.
Then he was dealt the toughest blow…that he didn’t derseve, but was enriched with the courage and foresight to continue and develop a strong presence within his own environment and he had many career achievements without fanfare or glowing tributes.
Artistic Director of Wexford Arts Centre, Denis Collins and the Community Artist, Anne Heffernan were made redundant in a restructuring package which could have resulted in the closure of the centre after 30 years, and €100,000 had to be found to finance a new-styled arts approach and the Arts Council indicated that future funding would depend on the ability to implement the recommendations contained in the review report.
From 2006-2011, Denis operated at the Art Upstairs on Wexford’s North Main Street, and from the latter date until now ran the successful Denis Collins Gallery at Rowe Street. For one year – in 2007-’08 – he was Rapid Co-Ordinator with Wexford County Council.
He had many other active interests, including his support for Wexford Tidy Towns’ and he was an adjudicator and a promoter of the growing Wexford Literary Festival.
Many tributes have been posted on social media. This is one of the most impressive with endearing sentiments that resonate with all who knew him, worked with him, or merely made some brief acquaintance.
“That is very sad news indeed. A beautiful lad with a heart of gold and the patience of a saint. He promoted us when we had dreams and stood beside us when the dream diminished. Rest in peace Denis.”
FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS
The death has occurred of DENIS COLLINS, St. Brendan’s, Waterloo Road, Wexford.
Beloved son of Maeve and the late Denis, brother of Pat, Liam, Triona and the late Bridget. Sadly missed by his loving mother, brothers, sister, sisters-in-law Noreen and Louise, brother-in-law Paul, beloved uncle of his many nieces and nephews, extended family, relatives and friends.
Reposing at Macken’s Funeral Home, Distillery Road, Wexford, on Thursday from 3 pm to 7 pm. Removal on Friday morning to Church of Immaculate Conception, Rowe Street for Funeral Mass at 12 noon. Burial afterwards in St. Ibar’s Cemetery, Crosstown. Family flowers only please. Donations, if desired, to Wexford Tidy Towns.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.