Hundreds pay respect to murdered mum and children before funeral

Vanessa Whyte and her daughter Sara and son James were fatally shot at their home in Maguiresbridge, County Fermanagh

Hundreds of people gathered in County Clare to pay their respects to a mother and her two children who were murdered in County Fermanagh.

Vanessa Whyte, 45, her 14-year-old son James Rutledge and her 13-year-old daughter Sara Rutledge died after being shot in their home in Maguiresbridge.

During a service of removal in the village on Wednesday, the priest, Fr Raymond Donnelly, told mourners the victims had their lives "taken in an unspeakable way".

Roads in Ms Whyte's home village of Barefield had been closed as hundreds attended the Church of the Immaculate Conception where the priest, Fr Brendan Quinlivan, described Ms Whyte as "vivacious and lively".

Vanessa Whyte and her children, James and Sara lay in repose together until 19:00 local time on Thursday and then the Bishop of Ferns, Gerard Nash, joined remaining mourners to lead the prayers of removal.

Their three coffins arrived in the village just after 14:00. Three hearses adorned with floral tributes stopped in tandem.

The bells rang out as Vanessa's coffin was carried in first, draped in Barefield GAA colours, followed by her adored children.

People are lining up in County Clare to pay their respects

Fr Brendan Quinlivan from the Diocese of Killaloe, said there has been such an "incredible sense of sympathy and empathy and outpouring of grief for all of Vanessa's family".

Speaking about Ms Whyte and her life in Barefield, he said "she was a very vivacious and lively young person when she grew up here, and she worked so hard to go on to study veterinary science and had a great passion for her career, and ultimately went into public service, which of course, is a reflection of the generosity of spirit that would have been very much part of her and her family, and that she received from her family".

Many people in the community have volunteered to be stewards at the church.

Fr Brendan Quinlivan said: "It has not been any challenge in many ways to get people to volunteer, to become part of the support network for Vanessa's family, and for all those who love her, who are so deeply grieved at this time," he said.

"There are no words that are adequate to describe the depth of feeling and the sense of tragedy that is being felt by Vanessa's family, but also by the community at large here, and we can't find reasons, and we can't find explanations."

'No one can understand'

Breda Butler says it's been "terrible" for everyone in the community

Among those attending was Breda Butler, from just outside Barefield, who said she wanted to show her support for Ms Whyte's mother.

"She's such a lovely lady and it's just so hard to see what has happened to her grandchildren and her daughter."

Breda said it's been "terrible" for everyone in the community.

"No one can understand."

Breda came to the repose in a blue floral dress, because people have been asked to wear bright colours.

"I said I wouldn't go dark."

Tom Roche says he knows the Whyte family well and recent days have been "so sad"

Tom Roche has also come to pay his respects and said he knows the Whyte family "very well" and knew Vanessa in her "young days".

"It's so sad," he said, adding, "it's shocking".

He said seeing the three coffins together "is hard".

Christy O'Grady and Joan O'Grady are neighbours of the Whyte family in County Clare

Joan O'Grady said she was attending "because they're neighbours and we must be here for them. We have to be here for them, not now, not today, but tomorrow and the next day. "

She said it's been "tough" for the community.

Christy O'Grady said: "I haven't slept since it happened."

Joan said everybody's been asked to wear bright colours "to remember" Vanessa Whyte and her children James and Sara, and "not to be all sad, but it's difficult not to be sad".

Fr Pat Conway and his brother Tom Conway live in nearby Ennis.

Fr Pat Conway said: "I often say mass in Barefield, particularly when Vanessa would have been here on Sundays."

Tom Conway said: "It's a very tragic thing. It's awful."

Fr Pat Conway and his brother Tom Conway paid their respects on Thursday afternoon

There will be a private removal on Saturday morning, with the funeral cortege arriving at the chapel for a funeral Mass beginning at 12:00.

Ms Whyte, James and Sara will be buried together in Templemaley Cemetery.

On Sunday, people gathered in the County Clare chapel for a prayer service, during which parish priest Fr Tom Fitzpatrick described the killings as an "unspeakable tragedy".

Vanessa Whyte and her children, James and Sara will lie in repose together until 19:00 on Thursday

Emergency services were called to the home of Ms Whyte and her children on the Drummeer Road on 23 July, a rural area about 75 miles (121km) west of Belfast and about eight miles from the county's largest town, Enniskillen.

Two of the victims were declared dead at the scene and a third died later that day in South West Acute Hospital.

Hours after the attack, police said a man from the same household was in hospital with gunshot wounds.

Following the shootings, police said a suspected triple murder and attempted suicide was one line of inquiry for detectives.

On Monday night, the man suspected the killings, 43-year-old Ian Rutledge, died in hospital.

Detectives investigating the shooting also reiterated their appeal for "anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to come forward".