Joe O’Reilly should serve far more than 16 years in prison for murdering Rachel Callaly, her mother Rose has told Lunchtime Live.

O’Reilly murdered his wife Rachel Callaly in their North Dublin home on October 4th, 2004.

Since he was handed a life sentence in 2007, he has made two unsuccessful appeals to have his conviction overturned.

He has also unsuccessfully applied for parole three times and is currently preparing his fourth appeal.

He has never admitted his guilt.

Rachel’s mother Rose Callally was the one who discovered her daughter’s badly beaten body on the day she was murdered.

She old Lunchtime Live the family is sucked back into their trauma every two years when O’Reilly applies for parole. 

“You have about a year to get over the year before,” she said.  “Every two years you know it’s going to come up.” 

She said she cannot understand how O’Reilly is eligible for parole less than two decades after murdering her daughter.

“Rachel was a beautiful young vibrant woman with two children, only starting out on her life,” she said. 

“As more time goes on, I think about all that she lost and all that was done to her.” 

'Is 16 years enough?'

Ms Callaly said 16 years is not enough to punish O’Reilly for “taking everything [Rachel] had”. 

“He never admitted it, he never showed remorse of any kind,” she said. 

“Is 16 years enough for taking someone’s freedom? He brought this on himself, he chose that the day he took our Rachel's life.” 

Family of Rachel Callaly after a guilty verdict was handed down to her husband Joe O'Reilly for her murder, 21/07/2007. Image: Leon Farrell/RollingNews.ie

Ms Callaly said “murder is murder” but there are different degrees of severity, which should be taken into account as O’Reilly seeks parole.

“It wasn't a spur of the moment thing,” she said.  

O’Reilly staged the murder as a burglary and appeared on The Late Late Show to discuss theories on who could have killed Rachel in 2007 before he was arrested. 

“He knew I was going to find [Rachel’s body] but he just has no moral compass in any way,” Ms Callaly said. 

“That wouldn’t worry him, I don’t think it would even register to him.” 

'Look at their own children'

Ms Callaly has written several letters to the parole board, asking them to keep O’Reilly in prison.

“I appeal to the powers that be just to try and look at their own children,” she said. 

“Imagine a child that they were rearing and just before this child blossom, they were taken.” 

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