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Extra.ie
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Extra.ie
Sinn Féin MEP Kathleen Funchion details abusive relationship with ex partner
Sinn Féin MEP Kathleen Funchion has urged anyone that knows someone who might be in a coercive relationship to not be judgemental but 'listen to them.' The 44-year-old politician detailed how she has come to terms with her own abusive relationship at the hands of her partner of six years, Sean Tyrell. Mr Tyrell was sentenced to four-months in jail for offences under Coco's Law against Ms Funchion. Sinn Féin MEP Kathleen Funchion has urged anyone that knows someone who might be in a coercive relationship to not be judgemental but 'listen to them.' Pic: Ireland AM/ Instagram Speaking on Ireland AM on Monday, the MEP told presenters Tommy Bowe and Muireann O'Connell how her relationship with Tyrell was 'dysfunctional at times.' 'Hindsight is hindsight for a reason,' she said, 'There was elements of control probably from very early on.' Ms Funchion added that the control can be 'hard to identify' as it is a gradual process which results in you doubting and questioning yourself. She added that it results in a 'huge amount of confidence' lost, which is what the abusive partner wants. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ireland AM (@irelandamvmtv) The MEP for Ireland South detailed how her ex-partner would question if she wasn't home by a certain time, a feat difficult for a politician who deals with the public. 'You're always trying to be ten steps ahead to think what kind of potential issue is happening here,' she detailed. 'I felt that I was always trying to find a solution as I really loved Sean, I really wanted this relationship to work. For me, this was it. I was determined to see how we could figure this out.' Ms Funchion detailed how her partner had been threatening to go to journalists with 'various stories' about her claiming that she was financially and physically abusive to him. Speaking on Ireland AM on Monday, the MEP told presenters Tommy Bowe and Muireann O'Connell how her relationship with Tyrell was 'dysfunctional at times.' Pic: Ireland AM/ Instagram 'I went to the Gardaí; I reached out to the Amber Women's Refuge as well,' the politician shared. She went on to give her praise to Gardaí and the protective services unit in Kilkenny who she branded as 'amazing' during the case. Speaking about writing her victim impact statement, she admitted it took her a 'very long time' to write it, adding that she was 'physically sick' in the lead up to having to read it out in court. 'It is very, very difficult for people,' she said, 'I've always had admiration for people who come forward but even more-so after going through it.' The Kilkenny woman added that she did feel 'physically lighter' following the case, but detailed there are still difficulties in her life following on from the relationship, such as letting people into her life. 'That is something that has changed for me,' she stated, 'But I am really glad that I did go all the way with it.'
Irish Examiner
03-05-2025
- Irish Examiner
Elaine Loughlin: Kathleen Funchion's case shows what coercive control really looks like — and why we need to listen
Gardaí, legal teams and defendants milled in and out of courtroom 1 as Judge Cephas Power made his way down a list of thefts, pub spats and public order cases. Behind the bare charges outlined, snippets of the turmoil and strive of some of those before the district court emerged. Like the mother-of-two up on several shoplifting charges, who herself had been adopted and suffered sexual abuse in childhood before becoming addicted to medication she had been prescribed. The court heard that many of the items taken were basic necessities and was also told of the struggles of rearing a child with a severe disability. The morning dragged into lunch as sentences were handed down or cases were put back to another date. It was mid-afternoon by the time Sean Tyrrell was called to appear before the judge, at which point the courtroom had largely filtered out. But the sentencing hearing, which on the day was sandwiched between the humdrum circuit court itinerary of cases and family court hearings on Monday, has since made national news. Tyrrell was given a four-month prison sentence, with a sperate four-month jail term suspended for two years, for offences under Section 4 of the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020, also known as Coco's Law. In a powerful impact statement, which she read out in court, his former partner MEP Kathleen Funchion described the lasting trauma of being in a relationship in which her ex-partner "always had to control the narrative" and "did everything in his power to continue this until the very end". The impact that this has had on the rest of my left is that my life has become a very lonely and isolated place where I have issues trusting others. I do not allow people into my life, I question everyone's motivation that is around me and I can become incredibly paranoid. "It is very difficult to have to say this aloud but it is the reality of my life now," an emotional Funchion told the court. In coming forward and speaking out, Ms Funchion who was an elected representative in Dáil Éireann throughout what was described as the "dysfunctional" relationship with Tyrrell, should be a wake-up call for many that harassment, manipulation, coercive control and other forms of abuse are quietly pervasive and are not limited to any specific social class, ethnicity, or educational background. "Shocking it can even happen to someone like a TD," was one text message I received from a colleague working in the media after my report on the case was published this week. The stereotype of a broken and vulnerable woman who is easily taken advantage of, needs to be done away with. Outwardly strong leaders in their communities, such as Ms Funchion, can and are being subjected to manipulative abuse that ekes away at the person and makes them doubt everything about themselves. "It is something that will stay with me forever, the worry, the upset and at times to this day the disbelief of what has happened, will never leave," the Sinn Féin politician said in her victim impact statement. Disbelief is an emotion felt by many. Coercive control creates invisible chains and a sense of fear that pervades all elements of a survivor's life. American sociologist Evan Stark, who developed the concept of coercive control, likened it to being taken hostage as 'the victim becomes captive in an unreal world created by the abuser, entrapped in a world of confusion, contradiction and fear.' In speaking up, Kathleen Funchion has created much-need publicity around a crime that often is hidden. File photo: Gareth Chaney/Collins Speaking after Tyrrell was jailed this week, Ms Funchion described the slow realisation of the situation she found herself in: "When you're with someone who is a controlling person, that doesn't happen overnight, it's subtle and it happens over time and I suppose you really get to a stage where you feel there's something wrong with you, and it's not something where you wake up one morning and realise, this is not a great situation. It happens over time. "I'm conscious that there are probably other people in situations like that and they are probably thinking, 'is there something wrong with me?'. So I just wanted to be able to stress that it can be very subtle and you can't see it creep up and you can nearly become agreeable to some of the ways that this person acts towards you like handing over your phone. "When you're removed from the situation and you're speaking to other people, you realise that that is not normal behaviour.' Coco's law Coco's law, the legislation which Tyrrell was jailed under, was debated by politicians in the Dáil and enacted in 2021 when Ms Funchion was a sitting TD. A year later, she sought support through Amber women's refuge in Kilkenny before going to gardaí. Coco's Law was named after 21-year-old Nicole 'Coco' Fox, who died by suicide in 2018 after suffering years of physical and online abuse that started just after she turned 18. The law, criminalises the sharing of, or threatening to share, intimate images without a person's consent, with or without intent to cause harm to the victim. The act also targets other areas of harmful communications by creating a new offence of distributing, publishing, or sending a threatening or grossly offensive communication with intent to cause harm. Kilkenny district court this week heard that Tyrrell persisted in making allegations of unfaithfulness, which were incorrect, and tried to force Ms Funchion to take a lie detector test that caused "very considerable upset". In August of 2022, after the couple had fully separated, Tyrrell contacted a national newspaper journalist outlining what the court heard was "false information" of domestic violence and financial abuse by a Sinn Féin politician. He sent screengrabs of these emails to Ms Funchion and threatened to provide the journalist with her name if she did not agree to a number of demands which included taking the lie detector test and arranging a meeting with Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald. Tyrell also threatened to contact the spouses of a number of Ms Funchion's close friends to falsely claim they had been unfaithful in their marriages if she did not comply with his demands. Addressing the court, Ms Funchion said: "This has been without a doubt the most difficult process that I have ever dealt with in my life. Sean tried to destroy some of the most important parts of my life through his actions, threatening my relationships with my family members, my long-term close friends and trying to use my job against me." An operational review published last September showed that almost 100 cases had been prosecuted in the three years since Coco's law came into effect. Ms Funchion's case will now be added to the statistics. But in speaking up, she has created much-need publicity around a crime that often is hidden. Read More MEP urges victims of harassment and coercive control to seek help
Sunday World
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Sunday World
‘I feel I spent all that time in my life crying,' says MEP after ex jailed under Coco's Law
SPEAKS OUT | The Sinn Féin MEP hopes that by going public with her story, it will inspire others to seek help and speak out MEP Kathleen Funchion has spoken out about the years of coercive control she endured at the hands of her ex-partner, Sean Tyrell Ms Funchion's ex-partner and former Kilkenny County Councillor, Sean Tyrell, was convicted on Monday under Section 4 of the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020, also known as Coco's Law. Tyrell was handed a four-month prison sentence, with a separate four-month jail term suspended for two years. Ms Funchion first met Tyrell in 2016 when he helped out during her Dáil election campaign. Tyrell was co-opted onto Kilkenny County Council that year, taking up the seat that Ms Funchion vacated after becoming a TD. The pair began a romantic relationship in 2016, before getting engaged in 2017. Speaking on RTÉ's News at One , Ms Funchion said that coercive control happens 'subtly' over time, and for that reason, many people do not recognise when they are the victim of coercive control in their own lives. "I think one of the reasons why I was anxious to speak about the situation is to maybe explain to people, and for other people in the situation, is that it is something that you don't see happening, in terms of it's very subtle," said Ms Funchion. "When you're with someone who is a controlling person, that doesn't happen overnight, it's subtle and it happens over time and I suppose you really get to a stage where you feel there's something wrong with you, and it's not something where you wake up one morning and realise, this is not a great situation. It happens over time. "I'm conscious that there are probably other people in situations like that and they are probably thinking, 'is there something wrong with me?'. So I just wanted to be able to stress that it can be very subtle and you can't see it creep up and you can nearly become agreeable to some of the ways that this person acts towards you like handing over your phone. When you're removed from the situation and you're speaking to other people, you realise that that is not normal behaviour.' Kathleen Funchion. Photo: PA During the course of their relationship, Ms Funchion said that Tyrell had insisted on having access to her phone and her messages and even wanted her to take a lie detector test as he continuously alleged that Ms Funchion was being unfaithful to him. Ms Funchion said at one stage, she even considered doing the lie detector test to prove that she had nothing to hide. "No matter what I said, he was adamant that I was being unfaithful in the relationship and I found that very difficult. He wanted me to take a lie detector test, which I would say at one point I was considering doing and I think that shows how it really gets into your head and you really do doubt yourself. "I suppose the important thing here is that actually, somebody who is controlling like that, no matter what you do, it's never going to be good enough.' The situation continued to escalate to a point where Tyrell started making allegations that Ms Funchion's close friends were being unfaithful in their marriages. 'I think it kind of came to a head in August of 2022 where I was really at breaking point,' said Ms Funchion. 'I was very, very upset. I wasn't sleeping, I wasn't eating. I feel like I spent all that time in my life crying.' Ms Funchion first contacted the Amber women's refuge in Kilkenny, before reaching out to Gardaí. She was then put in contact with the Protective Services unit of the Gardaí in Kilkenny, who she said were 'incredible'. 'They have been incredible, and unbelievable in the work that they do on a daily basis,' said Ms Funchion. 'I found that they were objective, but so professional and kind in their approach. They really made me feel that I wasn't going crazy. "Abuse can be physical, it can be emotional,' added Ms Funchion. 'There's a range and I think that sometimes people think that they have to rock up with signs of physical abuse, but actually that's not the case.' While Ms Funchion said she feels relieved and 'vindicated' following Tyrell's sentencing, the emotional scars from the years of coercive control and harassment will never fade. "I definitely think, and I find it difficult to acknowledge this about myself, but it has changed my life and not in a positive way. I have very serious issues with trust as a result. I don't see that ever leaving me and I do find that I maybe question people more who do come into my life and I keep my circle very small. "But I am really glad that I did see this through to the end and that there was justice. I do feel very strongly about that and I do feel that I was listened to.' The Sinn Féin MEP added that by going public with her story, she hopes it will inspire others in a similar situation to seek help and speak out.
Irish Daily Mirror
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Irish Daily Mirror
Sinn Fein MEP admits to 'serious' trust issues after ex jailed under Coco's Law
Sinn Féin MEP Kathleen Funchion said she has 'very serious trust issues' and her life has been changed after her former partner was jailed under Coco's Law. On Monday, Sean Tyrell was jailed under Section 4 of the Harassment and Harmful Communications Act for four months, with a separate four-month jail term suspended for two years. The court heard that Tyrell made false accusations about Ms Funchion, saying she had been unfaithful. They began a relationship in 2016, and after they split in August 2022, he contacted a journalist at a national newspaper saying a Sinn Féin politician was making false claims about domestic violence and financial abuse. Screengrabs of these emails were sent to Ms Funchion, as he threatened to give the journalist her name if she didn't meet a number of his demands. One of these demands was taking a lie detector test. Speaking after Tyrell was jailed, the MEP said she considered doing this, and these thoughts are the reality for many people who are coercively controlled. She told RTÉ's News At One on Tuesday: 'He wanted me to take a lie detector test, which I would say at one point I was considering doing. That shows how it really gets into your head and you really do doubt yourself. "When I think back about that now, I thought that this will resolve the issue, that someone being able to go through your phone, that you can show that there's nothing to hide. 'Somebody who is controlling like that, no matter what you do, nothing is going to be good enough.' Ms Funchion decided to go to the Gardaí after she was at 'breaking point' in August 2022. She said: 'I was very, very upset. I wasn't sleeping or eating. I feel like I spent all of that time in my life crying... I went into the Gardaí and spoke to them. "They have been incredible, and unbelievable in the work that they do on a daily basis. I found that they were objective, but so professional and kind in their approach. They really made me feel that I wasn't going crazy.' While the Sinn Féin politician said she felt 'physically lighter' leaving court on Monday, it has left her with 'very serious trust issues'. She continued: 'I don't see that ever leaving me. I find it difficult to acknowledge this about myself, but it has changed my life, and not in a positive way. "I question people more that come into my life, and I keep my circle very, very small... But I am really glad that I did see this through to the end, and that there was justice yesterday."
Irish Times
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
‘Your mind goes into a really scary place': Kathleen Funchion on the sentencing of ex-partner under harassment law
Kathleen Funchion does not know how she managed to keep up the chimera of normality during the worst moments of her relationship with a toxic partner. She was trying to keep her head above water as if nothing was troubling her even though her life was a nightmare due to Seán Tyrell. Somehow, she performed her public life as the Sinn Féin TD for Kilkenny and a prominent member of her party's front bench. On Monday, this week, for the first time, the secret torment and anguish she suffered for more than three years was laid bare at Kilkenny Courthouse. READ MORE Tyrell (39), was sentenced to four months in prison. A separate four-month term was suspended for two years. He was convicted of two offences under the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020, also known as Coco's Law. The court had heard that during a tumultuous six-year relationship, Tyrell exercised coercive and controlling behaviour over Ms Funchion, including checking her messages, demanding her phone, and accusing her of having an affair when there was no basis for having such suspicions. The situation came to a head when Tyrell demanded she take a lie-detector test, which Ms Funchion – desperate for a resolution – initially agreed to take. On Tuesday afternoon at Kilkenny Castle, Ms Funchion, now an MEP, recounts how her relationship with Tyrell deteriorated from a loving one – 'I was 100 per cent in love with him' – into something much darker and more sinister. She tells it in an even voice, without self-pity. 'I really, really think it is important that I am able to share this ... so that others who find themselves in similar circumstances know that there is help available and there is a way out.' At its worst, she says, there were 'really difficult days' she struggled to get through. The regular drive to Dublin to go to the Dáil was the only time she had to herself to 'take solace', she says. Ms Funchion, a mother of two children, met Tyrrell, who was a volunteer with the party in Kilkenny and they began a relationship a few years later. At the start she had no inkling of what was to come. There were the usual ups and downs, but by 2020 she realised his behaviour was coercive and controlling. 'It was subtle ... It's only when you realise afterwards that it is not normal.' The issues came to a head in 2021. He had issues of trust with her and made baseless accusations she was having affairs. 'I actually gave him my phone in April 2021 so he could look through everything. And then he insisted on a lie detector test. I actually was agreeing to it. I think that shows that your mind goes into a really scary place where you agree to all this.' There was never any physical violence in the relationship, but there were rows, accusations and exclusion. 'There was a lot of loneliness for me. You are conscious that you can't really talk to your friends about it. And there is an element of you being in denial about it.' In 2022, Ms Funchion decided to break off the relationship. Tyrrell threatened to contact the partners of some of her close friends and made claims they were unfaithful in their marriages. He also provided 'false information' to a journalist about domestic violence and financial irregularities by a Sinn Féin politician, whom he didn't name. In a text message exchange with Ms Funchion, he threatened to disclose her name to a journalist unless she acceded to demands, including holding a meeting with Mary Lou McDonald and taking the lie detector test. 'It was outlandish, made-up stuff. I realised at this point that this person just won't stop,' she says. She reached out to Amber Women's Refuge in Kilkenny, with which she was familiar due to her advocacy, and then phoned the gardaí. By then, she felt drained. 'I wasn't sleeping, I wasn't eating. I was just about managing to get up and go about my day.' No part of the subsequent process was pleasant. Even though she is a public figure, Ms Funchion has guarded her private and family life. But she found the sentencing hearing on Monday to be cathartic. 'Getting up and reading the victim impact statement was important for me ... and this was a way for me to take back control. There was a huge weight lifted off my shoulder. I really wasn't expecting that,' she says. She wants others in similar situations to be able to recognise that what is happening is 'not normal' and 'not right'. If you are affected by any of the issues in this article, you can contact Women's Aid at 1800-341900 or Men's Aid at 01-5543811.
