Patrick Kielty's family tragedy: Irish comedian was just 16 when he lost his father in a horrific IRA shooting - as star announces split from wife Cat Deeley just months after her noticeable absence from his mother's funeral

Daily Mail​

6 days ago

Their split shocked the showbiz world on Tuesday after Cat Deeley and her husband Patrick Kielty announced they were separating after 12 years of marriage.
News of their split came just five months after the TV presenter's noticeable absent from Patrick's mother's funeral in March.
It was reported that she stayed home in order to support their two young children, Milo, nine, and James, seven, who were suffering the loss of their grandmother.
However his mother's death wasn't the first tragedy to rock the family after his father was shot by protestant paramilitaries who claimed he was an IRA chief during the Troubles when Patrick was just 16 years old.
His businessman father Jack was gunned down by loyalist shooters from the Ulster Freedom Fighters at his desk in 1988 at the age of 44 after refusing to pay protection money.
Patrick previously recalled the moment he was called into the headteacher's office to be told of his father's death.
He revealed he thought he assumed he was just in trouble until he was issued with the devastating news.
Patrick explained: 'I remember going to school and like lots of other kids who were 16, putting up your posters for Comic Relief.
'And being called to the headmaster's office and thinking "I didn't ask permission to put these posters up, here we go".
'The headmaster said, "I think you need to sit down". There was a slow motion but very quick exchange.
'He said "your father's been shot". I said "is he dead?" and he said "yes".'
It wasn't until later that Patrick and his family found out why his father had been targeted.
He explained: 'Rather than pay protection money to loyalist paramilitaries he decided to go to the police.'
Patrick's father was in his building firm's office when members of the Loyalist Ulster Freedom Fighters sprayed it with bullets.
It was a case of mistaken identity, with the killers believing Jack to be an officer in the IRA, a link that was immediately dismissed by the Royal Ulster Constabulary and family members.
Speaking candidly about his father's death in the BBC documentary My Dad, the Peace Deal and Me, Patrick revealed he could never forgive those who killed his dad.
Patrick said: 'I can't forgive them. But whether or not these people are in jail, it's not going to bring Dad back.
'I felt if this is what has to happen to stop this happening to someone else, I'll suck that up. I won't hug them and tell them it was OK - but I want to move on.'
He also revealed the IRA tried to recruit him to exact revenge on his killers as he added: 'At the time of my dad's death, there were thousands of armed paramilitaries and it would've been easy for me to pick up a gun myself.
'My dad's brother had been approached in the graveyard by the IRA to say, "look, we could probably use a couple of good smart strong strapping lads like those Kielty lads if they're interested in revenge".
'They were told in no uncertain terms where to go. Everyone wants to believe their loved one died for a cause. But my dad died for nothing.'
Patrick's mother Mary was 46 when her husband died and she never remarried, raising Patrick and his brothers John and Cahal as a single mother.
The TV star previously said of his mother: 'My dad was a brave man but it was my mum who wanted to protect us.
'She's the one who raised the family and kept us together. She was 46 when he died and she never remarried.'
It is no surprise that the three brothers had such a close bond to their mother who passed away aged 80 at her home in the village of Dundrum in March this year.
The Irish comedian looked bereft as he carried her coffin at her funeral in County Down.
A death notice said Mary 'will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by her entire family circle, neighbours and friends'.