Patrick Kielty's 'seething' family reveal heartbreaking moment they knew his marriage to Cat Deeley was over for good... as crestfallen star moves into his 'divorce' house

Daily Mail​

a day ago

's family are still seething with Cat Deeley over her failure to attend his beloved mother's funeral – and say they knew at that moment their marriage was over for good.
The comic, 54 is lying low in his stylish country home in the village of Dundrum, County Down where family and friends have been rallying around him following the announcement that he and Cat, 48, have split after 12 years of marriage.
But Cat's 'no show' at Patrick's mother Mary's last rites back in March has left deep emotional scars within the Kielty family who say it confirmed for them that there was little chance of a reconciliation between the two.
Clearly still upset at the anger and embarrassment it caused the family, one relative told the Daily Mail this week: 'Whatever rockiness was going on in the marriage, something as a momentous as his mother's funeral, you would make up even temporarily and just put your 'best face' on as we say in Northern Ireland.
'Cat obviously knew how close Patrick was to Mary and she should have come to be by his side, a hand on his shoulder as he buried his mother. The fact that she stayed in London and presented This Morning on the day, it's not been forgotten.'
The source added: 'In a very tight knit community in Northern Ireland, people always turn out. It's the done thing. His family remain very upset by this. They still can't believe it. It was the point when we all realised that that marriage had ended.'
Patrick looked bereft as he carried Mary's coffin through his home village, where he was joined by close family and friends at the Church of the Sacred Heart.
A spokesperson for Cat told the Daily Mail at the time: 'Cat remained at home to be there for her two young children before and after school on this very sad day.'
But Cat's 'no show' at Patrick's mother Mary's last rites back in March has left deep emotional scars within the Kielty family who say it confirmed for them that there was little chance of a reconciliation between the two
Patrick and his family are well known and hugely respected within the Dundrum community and virtually the whole village of 1500 people turned up to pay their respects at Mary's funeral.
It was followed by a wake with the whole ceremony surrounding her death at the age of 88 holding huge significance in Irish Catholic traditions.
One source said: 'The wake and all these other things are of huge importance. The house was full non-stop but her not being there was obviously a topic of conversation and caused a huge amount of embarrassment.
'The family and their friends felt let down. We felt that Cat could have just turned up to hold his hand or put an arm around his shoulder at the graveside, regardless of the problems they might have been having. For something like this, you would put on a show of unity, it's not too much to ask.'
A close friend of Patrick's who grew up with him in Dundrum said: 'It's not just the family, it's the whole community who haven't forgotten. We were all there but not his wife.
'Whatever is going on in your marriage, at the very least you need to do the right thing and show up to stand beside your husband in his hour of need.
'The fact that she (Cat) didn't made it obvious that the marriage was over. You can't get back together after something like that.'
Patrick has often spoken about his love for Dundrum and once said in a media interview: 'Growing up as a kid in Dundrum I thought it was the greatest place in the world'
The lavish, retro-style detached house was extensively renovated by Patrick and boasts a stylish interior with a games room, cinema room, home gym, spa area, state of the art kitchen and large windows that offer stunning views of the surrounding countryside
Patrick's father Jack was shot dead by protestant paramilitaries in 1988 who mistakenly claimed that he was an IRA chief.
Mary was aged 46 at the time while Patrick was only 16 and his mother was forced to raise him and his two brothers single-handedly as she battled to keep the family together. She took a job in a local school, where she worked for most of her life, to help provide for them.
Miriam, who lives close to where Mary raised Patrick and his two brothers in the family home on the main road in Dundrum, said: 'She was an incredibly strong and loving woman, and I don't understand why anybody who knew this wouldn't show up to honour her.
'Cat's reason for not coming because she needed to be with her two boys didn't wash with me. If she didn't want them to attend, they've got plenty of family in Dundrum who could have taken care of them while she went to the funeral.'
She added: 'Patrick is loved by us all and I'm devastated that he's going through what must be a difficult time.'
It is hard to find anyone in Dundrum who has a bad word to say about the Kielty family or Patrick, who locals affectionately refer to as 'Paddy.'
Such is the regard that they are held in that the local Gaelic football club, where Patrick once played has named its pitch after his father Jack, who was also its former president.
Patrick remains an integral part of the community despite his fame and spending most of his time in London, where he lived with Cat and their two sons Milo, seven and James, five.
Patrick and Cat who wed in romantic ceremony in Rome in 2012, lived in LA for 13 years until 2020 when they moved to London after he was caught up in a terrifying gun drama with his son.
Back in the UK the showbiz golden couple bought their 'forever home' a derelict 1950s property in Hampstead, north London for £5million that required major renovation work.
The move coincided with Cat landed one of the biggest jobs in TV as host of ITV's flagship daytime programme This Morning while Patrick got the job as presenter of The Late Late Show in Dublin.
But their busy schedules meant they have virtually been living separate lives. Cat once revealed on This Morning that they were like 'ships in the night' and slept in separate beds.
For the past year Patrick has been living largely at his secluded home back in Dundrum as he comes to terms with the end of his marriage.
Located along a winding country lane and overlooks the picturesque Dundrum Bay and the Mourne Mountains, his family say he feels peaceful there back close to his roots.
The lavish, retro-style detached house was extensively renovated by Patrick and boasts a stylish interior with a games room, cinema room, home gym, spa area, state of the art kitchen and large windows that offer stunning views of the surrounding countryside.
The home was used by the star, Cat and their children during their visits to Dundrum but at one point they considered selling it and put it on the market in 2014 for £400,000 while they were living in the U.S.
But a friend told the Daily Mail: 'He changed his mind probably because he's so connected to Dundrum and always wanted to keep a place here.
'He's been lying low in the house for the past few weeks because he's obviously got a lot to think about. He's not been coming out as much as he usually does when he's here and it's been very hard for him but the whole family and his friends have been supporting him.'
Patrick was spotted two weeks ago with his two sons in the Maghera Inn, a traditional pub located just a short distance from his home.
One regular said: 'He was in here with the two boys and to be honest, seemed a lot quieter than he usually is. Normally, he's not at the house very much because he spends most of his time away for work, but we all know that he's been back in Dundrum for quite a while now.
'If you need time and space to think then Dundrum is probably the best place because it's so peaceful and beautiful here and this is where he probably he feels most at home.'
The lavish, retro-style detached house was extensively renovated by Patrick and boasts a stylish interior with a games room, cinema room, home gym, spa area, state of the art kitchen and large windows that offer stunning views of the surrounding countryside
Patrick has often spoken about his love for Dundrum and once said in a media interview: 'Growing up as a kid in Dundrum I thought it was the greatest place in the world.'
The idyllic, picture postcard village, located around an hour from Belfast, was recently crowned the best place to live in Northern Ireland by The Sunday Times.
It has featured on The Late Late Show with Patrick returning to the Dundrum Inn to have a celebratory drink just hours after making his debut as its presenter in September 2023.
Tom Doak, 63 manager of the Dundrum Inn said: 'Paddy is very connected to the village and our community. But he's just one of the regulars, nobody makes a big fuss when he comes in here. Whatever's going on for him and I have no opinion on that, we'll always be rooting for him.'