Maguiresbridge shootings: Prayers and vigil in Co Clare for triple murder victims Vanessa Whyte and her children James and Sara Rutledge
Prayers were said at the home church of Vanessa Whyte in Co Clare this morning after she and her two children were murdered in Co Fermanagh last week.
Ms Whyte, 45, a vet originally from Co Clare, her son James, 14, and daughter Sara, 13, were killed in a suspected triple murder and attempted suicide at a house in Maguiresbridge on Wednesday morning.
Ms Whyte was originally from Barefield, a village near Ennis in Co Clare.
A murder investigation has been launched, while an adult male remains in a serious condition in hospital.
Yesterday morning prayers were said at the village chapel in the Church of Immaculate Conception in Barefield, Co Clare, where Vanessa grew up.
People queued up before and after mass to sign a book of condolences. Parishioners were also invited to attend a vigil in the church at 7pm yesterday.
Ms Whyte grew up in Co Clare and attended university at UCD Ireland. She had just been promoted in her job as a vet with the Department of Agriculture in Fermanagh when she and her children were killed.
Barefield parish priest, Fr Tom Fitzpatrick, said the community wanted to gather together last night to remember the family.
The prayer service was organised to take place last night to allow for Ms Whyte’s brother, Ivor, to travel home from Australia.
“The prayer service was organised by the community, myself and the pastoral council. We planned it days ago,” Fr Fitzpatrick told the PA news agency.
“The purpose of the service is to gather as a community and be with the family and let them know we are thinking of them and we are here in shock and in pain.
“When something happens in a rural community, even to one person, it affects everybody. We are coming here with hearts broken. A lot of the community knew Vanessa and she was so well loved.”
It’s understood that the funeral of the mother and her two children will take place in Barefield later this week.
Local GAA club St Joseph's Doora-Barefield said they were “shocked and saddened” by the tragedy and noted Vanessa was “a very accomplished camogie player” for the club in her youth.
On Friday night hundreds of people gathered for a community vigil in memory of them.
People wrapped their arms around each other as they remembered Ms Whyte and her children.
The vigil was organised by a community group and held at Maguiresbridge Primary School, where James and Sara previously attended.
The principal of Maguiresbridge Primary School, Honor Irvine, described both James and Sara as popular pupils who loved sport.
“James was full of fun, always laughing, loved to get a laugh, loved to be outdoors.
“Sara was the same. Sara loved outdoors, bit of a tomboy, and the two of them got on very well, (had) lots of friends and were very popular in school.”
She described their mother Vanessa, who was a member of the parents’ support group which organised fundraisers for the school, as “full of life”, and a “roll up your sleeves, get the job done” type of person.