Pearse Doherty criticises placing of the tricolour on coffin of Pearse McAuley

By Cate McCurry, PA

Pearse Doherty has criticised the placing of the tricolour on the coffin of garda killer Pearse McAuley, saying he was not a republican.

McAuley, who was in his late 50s, was found dead in his home in Co Tyrone last week.

He was sentenced to 14 years in jail for the manslaughter of Detective Garda Jerry McCabe, who was shot dead by an IRA gang during a post office raid in Co Limerick in June 1996.

At McAuley’s funeral in Strabane on Thursday, his coffin was draped in an Irish flag with a black beret and gloves placed on top.

Simon Harris used his inaugural speech as Fine Gael leader to criticise the tricolour being draped over “the coffin of a garda killer”.

In 2015, McAuley was sentenced to 12 years for stabbing his estranged wife, Pauline Tully, now a Sinn Féin TD, with a steak knife at her home on Christmas Eve in 2014.

The pair had married while McAuley was serving his 14-year sentence for the garda killing.

Mr Doherty, a Donegal TD, said McAuley had nothing to do with Sinn Féin for “many, many, many years”.

“And in the eyes of republicans, he’s not a republican,” Mr Doherty added.

“The reference was made in relation to what happened to my colleague and how he treated my colleague in relation to the killing of Detective Garda Jerry McCabe.

“The party has been very clear that we have condemned that on numerous occasions.

“In relation to the funeral of Pearse McAuley we had no hand, act or part in it.

“In relation to the placement of a tricolour, if it was our decision, one would not be on the coffin.”