The mother of Rachel Callaly has said her daughter's "dangerous" killer should never be freed, as the family marks 20 years since her death. 

In October 2004, Rachel Callaly was found brutally murdered in her Dublin home by her mother, Rose Callaly. 

Rachel’s husband, Joe O’Reilly, was later convicted of her murder and sentenced to life in prison. 

Two decades on, Mrs Callaly said the fact her daughter was killed by the man she loved and trusted is something that ‘just never leaves you’. 

“Some days it seems like years and some days it seems like yesterday,” she told The Hard Shoulder.

“But it’s always been there since the day that happened, it never went away.

“It was a shift from the life we had to a different life from that day on and it doesn’t really get any better.” 

Mrs Callaly said she often wonders what her daughter would be doing if she was still alive and a part of her still ‘expects her to walk in the door’.  

One thing that has not changed is the Callaly family’s determination that O’Reilly will never walk free from prison. 

“The older I get, the more angry I get,” Mrs Callaly said. 

“I suppose it’s the fact that he keeps trying to get out on parole; I sort of feel he has the life he chose but he didn’t even give Rachel a chance of having a life. 

“He just decided he was going to take her life. 

“I don’t think of him, thank God; he doesn’t enter my mind except at times like this. I don’t allow him; he did enough damage in the beginning.” 

Joe O'Reilly arriving at the Four Courts for his trial in 2007. Picture by: Albert Gonzalez / Photocall Ireland.

Mrs Callaly said there are many people in the world who have done nothing wrong and yet O’Reilly still has a “better life” than they do. 

“He has a roof over his head, he has everything he needs,” she said. 

“I don’t begrudge it to him because I don’t care what he has, I never think about anything like that. 

“The only thing I feel would be justice for Rachel; that is if he doesn’t ever get freedom - that’s the way I feel and that’s the way Jim felt.” 

Jim and Rose Callaly and other members of the family leave court after O'Reilly was found guilty. Photo. Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland.

O’Reilly has applied for parole several times but on each occasion, his application has been turned down. 

He still maintains his innocence but even if he were to confess and apologise, Mrs Callaly said she would not believe him to be sincere. 

“Looking back, he always said what he thought you wanted to hear,” she said. 

“The only thing he won’t say is that he committed that crime or show any remorse whatsoever - he never has done that. 

“That’s very sad but at this stage, it doesn’t worry me… but I know now, if he did start saying stuff like that, it would only be a move to get out.

“His heart and mind will never change and I do think he would be a dangerous person to let out.”

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Main image: Rose Callaly. Picture by: Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland