Maguiresbridge shops to close for church service for shooting victims Vanessa Whyte and her children James and Sara Rutledge
Shops will close today while a church service takes places in Maguiresbridge for a mother and her two children killed in a shooting incident in the area last week.
Department of Agriculture vet Vanessa Whyte, 45, and her children James, 14, and Sara, 13, Rutledge died after a shooting incident at their home in Maguiresbridge last Wednesday.
A male from the same household died from gunshot wounds in hospital on Monday night.
Police have named him as Ian Rutledge, 42, an agricultural machinery sales specialist and the only suspect in what police have described as a suspected triple murder-suicide.
Requiem mass for the mother and children will take place in Vanessa’s home church in Co Clare on Saturday – some 140 miles away from their Co Fermanagh home.
However, a 'removal' service will take place today at St Mary’s Church in Maguiresbridge.
A family notice has requested that people attending both services wear “bright and cheerful colours in their memory”.
Sonya Smith, deputy chair of Maguiresbridge Community Development Association, said shops would be closing out of respect during the Co Fermanagh service.
“I would say there'll be good representatives from all the sports organisations and I know that the shops are closing for an hour out of respect,” she said.
Both children were keen Gaelic sports players.
“I'm sure they will do a wee guard of honour at the church, they have mentioned that they would do something,” she added.
“The mood in the area is still very sombre. Everyone is just very down about it all. It's still an awful shame that the whole family has been wiped out.”
A family notice described Vanessa as “a devoted mother, a loving and beloved daughter and sister and a loving and beloved daughter-in-law and sister-in-law”.
It added: “James was a much-loved son, brother, and grandson of Ernie and Helen Rutledge. He was also a cherished nephew of Julie and Richard Hoy and cousin to Daniel, Matthew and Emily.
“Sara was a dearly loved daughter, sister, and granddaughter of Ernie and Helen Rutledge. She was a treasured niece of Julie and Richard Hoy and cousin to Daniel, Matthew and Emily.”
After the Maguiresbridge service, Vanessa, James and Sara will be transported to Co Clare and will lie in repose in the Church Of The Immaculate Conception in Barefield, Co Clare, on Friday from 3pm until 7pm.
Requiem mass will take place at the chapel on Saturday at noon.
A live stream of the Co Clare chapel shows a steady stream of people arriving to sign a book of condolence.
One Barefield source told the News Letter: “I am sure there will be a very big crowd for the funeral because they were extremely popular people here.”
The mother and children will then be laid to rest together in Templemaley Cemetery, also in Barefield.
A family notice asked for any donations in lieu of family flowers to be given to Women's Aid.
“Vanessa, James, and Sara will be forever loved and remembered by the Rutledge and Whyte families and their many friends,” it added.
On Sunday, an image of the mother and children was displayed on the overhead screen during a minute’s silence at the All Ireland GAA final at Croke Park.