mcareavey's hurt John McAreavey says his pain at loss of Michaela must not dictate his new life

"There’s too much positivity and love and hope that won’t be overshadowed. Michaela lost her life. Am I to lose mine too?”

John McAreavey with his late wife Michaela

April 03 2021 03:39 PM

Former Gaelic footballer John McAreavey has opened up about his heartbreak over the loss of his first wife who was murdered in Mauritius a decade ago.

In a candid interview with the Irish News, Mr McAreavey, who has since remarried and welcomed a newborn son, James, into the world, opened up on the trauma and pain suffered by he and the Harte family after the loss of Michaela.

Michaela was tragically killed at 27 years old while the two were honeymooning in Mauritius in 2011.

John is now married to Tara Brennan and they welcomed their first child last October.

John, with wife Tara and son, James.

In the in-depth interview, he spoke of how he stayed with former Tyrone boss Mickey Harte, Michaela’s father, after his daughter’s death as well as the relationship the pair had.

Speaking of Mickey Harte, he said: “I think he trusted me a lot, trusted me in everything I was doing with the Michaela Foundation and the whole area of justice. I think we’ve always had a good, open relationship.”

He continued: “I think Mickey knows I deeply care about him. We became friends then which wouldn’t have been the case before. I’d always great respect for Mickey and drew energy from talking to him.”

Speaking of the months after Michaela’s murder, and how his faith kept him strong, Mr McAreavey added: “It was painful. It was really painful. And still is painful. But I was always of the opinion I wasn’t travelling this road on my own and I very much felt God was looking out for me and protecting me.

“I was always very sure that Michaela was with God.’

He also spoke of his feeling that he is a “fortunate person” despite the hell he and the Harte family have gone through since the death of their beloved Michaela.

“I’m not prepared to let that be my overarching story. There’s too much positivity and love and hope that won’t be overshadowed. Michaela lost her life. Am I to lose mine too?”