Maguiresbridge: Village at the centre of a shooting tragedy in Co Fermanagh
Maguiresbridge – the village at the centre of a shooting tragedy in Co Fermanagh – is a small and quiet settlement.
It is a small village with a population of only around 1,000 people.
PSNI Detectives have launched a murder investigation following the shooting incident in the village on Wednesday morning.
The three family members whose lives were taken were Vanessa Whyte, who was 45 years old; Sara Rutledge, aged 13; and James Rutledge, aged 14.
One adult male from the same family also suffered gunshot wounds and is seriously ill in hospital.
The village is located three miles north of the town of Lisnaskea, and nine miles east of Enniskillen.
At the beginning of the 20th century it was a major railway hub, which would have contributed significantly to it economically and demographically.
The village is reported to be very politically mixed with an almost even proportion of Catholic and Protestant residents, according to the 2021 census.
It has a Catholic and controlled primary schools and also has Catholic, Church of Ireland, Presbyterian and Methodist churches.
The village also supports both a GAA and football team.
During the Troubles UDR Corporal Albert Beacom was murdered by the IRA while working on his farm near the town in 1981. In 1986 off-duty RUC officer Derek Breen was shot by the IRA in a bar in the town.
A famous former resident is Bernadette ‘Bernie’ Collins, a Formula One strategy analyst for Sky Sports.
Yesterday Health Minister Mike Nesbitt and Justice Minister Naomi Long issued a statement about the tragedy.
“We are horrified and heartbroken to learn of the tragedy that has occurred in Maguiresbridge today,” they said.
"We send our deepest sympathies to the families affected and to the wider community in Co Fermanagh.”