Former SF hero was a psycho and a murderer

ALL the evidence suggests that the late Pearse McAuley – buried on Thursday – was a psychopath. There’s a saying that if you can’t say something positive about a dead person then say nothing. While Sinn Féin maintained a discreet silence after news of his death emerged, others have no reason to maintain a generous silence. He didn’t deserve it.

He was a murderer, plain and simple. Political pressure meant that he benefited from a plea deal on the ‘killing’ of Detective Jerry McCabe in Adare in June 1996.

He then got treated as an IRA hero as Sinn Féin made him and his three killer colleagues a cause célèbre.

Martin Ferris, who was a TD at the time, was at the prison gate in 2009 to take McAuley to his freedom.

While in prison, McAuley, pictured below, took visits from Pauline Tully, a republican who had never met him before he was imprisoned. He got a day release in 2003 so they could marry. When he was released formally, the marriage did not work.

She secured a barring order against this violent man. On Christmas Eve 2014 he broke into her home and stabbed her 13 times. She was lucky to survive. She went on to become a Sinn Féin TD in 2020.

Quite correctly, senior Sinn Féin figures led by Mary Lou McDonald condemned this evil man for what he did to Ms Tully.

What a pity that they couldn’t have done so earlier when he murdered a garda and, instead, tried to move heaven and earth to have him freed. At least no prominent Sinn Féin figures attended his funeral, even though there were plenty there to celebrate and excuse his dismally lived life.