Mayo farmer Pádraig Nally, who was acquitted by a jury at the Central Criminal Court of manslaughter, hopes to get his shotgun back. The single-barrel hunting gun, once owned by his late father, Patrick, dates from the 1930s and was used by both to shoot vermin on the farm.
It was also the weapon Mr Nally used to shoot Traveller John Ward on his farm at Funshinaugh, Cross, in October 2004.
Settling back into life on his 65-acre farm yesterday, Mr Nally said: "Yes, I would like to get the gun back but I don't think there is any chance of that happening in the near future." He said he used the gun a lot in his younger days, mostly for fox-hunting on his lands surrounding Lough Corrib.
He admitted he did not feel safe in his new situation. "It is hard to relax with the pressure. I am not out of worry yet. Everyone needs a gun for their own security in this day and age."
He had asked about the gun but had been told by gardaí that he would not get it back yet. "There is supposed to be a possibility of some further court proceedings down the line, that is what I hear, so the gun won't be released yet. It would be nice to get it back, not just for security reasons. It has been in the family a long time."
Meanwhile, the Pádraig Nally Support Group met on Monday and thanked all who had wished him well. The group has now been wound up and the balance of the fund will be donated to the Alzheimer Foundation in the west.