A man alleged to have murdered his wife in an act of jealousy then went down the pub for two pints before he told his drinking companion: “This is the last time you will see me.”

Irish police arrested Oliver Kierans after an eight hour siege in the Cavan pub after his estranged wife Patricia was found murdered in her former family home in Bailieborough.

The separated Belfast born mother of four had told a local priest that she was ‘living in fear’ for the past year.

Police recovered a sawn-off shotgun after they arrested the 56-year-old Kierans, currently receiving treatment under armed guard in hospital after he fell ill in custody.

Officers have revealed that 54-year-old Patricia Kierans had been hit by a shotgun blast in an upstairs bedroom of the Drumbannon home she formerly shared with her husband.

The Irish Independent reports that her body was found lying on the floor when officers forced their way into the house on Thursday night after her family raised fears for her safety.

She had not lived at the family home for eight or nine months and local police believe she had returned to the house to collect some belongings.

The paper has also revealed that the shooting took place hours after the couple’s youngest son had emigrated to Australia, following in the footsteps of his three siblings.

Local priest Fr Oliver O’Reilly told the Irish Independent that the dead woman had sought help from him.

He said: “She had confided in me quite a bit over the last year and she had expressed fear that her life was in danger.

“I had got her professional help. I feel personally devastated, as well as the larger community, with what has happened.”

Oliver Kierans’ sister Majella, although reluctant to comment, said of the couple: “They were just two people who shouldn’t have been together.”

The report adds that forensic officers have carried out a detailed examination of the siege scene at The Square Bar in Market Square in Bailieborough and at the Kierans’s house at Drumbannon.

They have ascertained Kierans had been in the pub for some time after the shooting and had consumed two pints while talking to another customer, whom he knew.

When he saw an officer approaching the pub, he ran towards the basement brandishing a sawn-off shotgun.

A police officer spoke to Kierans and organised the evacuation of the handful of other customers and staff before also withdrawing from the pub.

After Kierans refused to come out, officers then called to the house in Drumbannon, forced their way in and discovered the body of Mrs Kierans.

Superintendent Dave Taylor told the paper: “Last night was a very dangerous night. But we have trained professional people in place who at a moment’s notice can come to a scene and assist the local garda management.”