Editor ‘never meant to cause distress’
Editor Aengus Fanning was responding to widespread criticism over a story which noted the late garda’s grieving husband, Aidan McCabe, was also the garda who fired the fatal shot which killed John Carthy in the infamous Abbeylara siege.
However, Mr Fanning stood over the decision to publish the story, stressing it was “factually correct”.
“The story was factual and presented in a very factual way. It’s a unique and unfortunate combination of events in Garda Aidan McCabe’s life, that he was personally involved in such personal circumstances on two separate occasions. But it wasn’t our intention to cause offence or distress to the family or to Garda Aidan McCabe himself. The Sunday Independent recognises and treats with respect the record of the Garda Síochána. And in no sense was it meant to be a criticism of Garda McCabe who did his duty under very difficult circumstances.”
Asked if he was apologising to the family over the article’s publication, Mr Fanning responded: “I’m certainly expressing my sympathy to them in a very unusual circumstance and situation and a very remarkable conjunction of two unfortunate circumstances.
“I will be intending to get in touch with Garda McCabe directly in the coming days when the time is right to express my sympathies and apologies if his distress has been added to by our story.”
Mr Fanning said he had not decided whether a formal apology would be carried in next Sunday’s newspaper.
He “was not quite sure” who wrote the headline which provoked outrage among colleagues of Tania Corcoran and Aidan McCabe.
Speaking to the Irish Examiner, he also said “he did not feel” he should answer queries about his newspaper’s production and how the controversial article was constructed.
