Nikita Hand - ‘Please don't be silent'
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Irish Times
an hour ago
- Irish Times
Deaths in Co Fermanagh: ‘The only comfort we have is that Vanessa, James and Sara are together and finally safe'
Three hearses parked, side by side, outside a small country church. They took up the width of the road. A heartbreaking sight. 'When you look at them together like that, it just hits you,' murmured a local man as the funeral bell tolled for Vanessa Whyte and her two teenage children. READ MORE Their grieving family walked the final stretch of tarmac behind the coffins of their loved ones. They walked between footpaths lined by mourners from two communities at opposite ends of the island united in pain and shock at the terrible circumstances surrounding the deaths of Vanessa, James (14) and Sara (13). They died in a shooting at their home in Maguiresbridge, Co Fermanagh . Ian Rutledge, Vanessa's husband and the children's father, died later in hospital from self-inflicted gun wounds . Vanessa was from the Co Clare village of Barefield, which is just outside Ennis. She was steeped in the GAA and a proud supporter of Clare hurling . This time last year, Vanessa and the children were in Croke Park when their beloved Banner County lifted the All-Ireland hurling crown. In Fermanagh, they were active members of two local GAA clubs. Who could have imagined that the saffron and blue jerseys they so proudly wore to Dublin would be placed next to a church altar at their funeral mass a year later? Or that their names would be spoken at the next All-Ireland hurling final as the crowd rose for a minute's silence to mark their passing? In Barefield on Saturday, these were among the questions repeatedly asked by mourners. There were no answers. Not for the crowd at the roadside nor for the people on the hill above, where the Church of the Immaculate Conception was already packed to capacity. The overflow was accommodated by rows of outdoor seating and a public address system. It still wasn't enough. And all they could do was be there, in the overwhelming silence, trying to make sense of the scene. The order of service booklet featured a now familiar photograph of Vanessa, Sara and James outside Croke Park. The order of service for the removal of Vanessa Whyte, her son James and daughter Sara. Photograph: Liam McBurney/PA Wire The members of the local GAA club, St Joseph's Doora-Barefield, formed part of a guard of honour outside the church. They were joined by more than a hundred members from Lisbellaw hurling club and Maguiresbridge gaelic football club who travelled from Fermanagh to bid a final farewell to their clubmates. Dressed in their club colours, many of them young teenagers like James and Sara, they sobbed and embraced when the cortege passed. As they stood, the rolled booklets stuck out of back pockets like matchday programmes. Each hearse was packed with mementos from the short lives of the three deceased with rectangular wreaths resting against the sides, each one with a name and place in the family: Vanessa – mother, daughter, sister; James – son, brother, nephew; Sara – daughter, sister, niece, cousin. Vanessa was a vet. The family loved animals. Little soft-toy black-and-white cats looked out from the hearses bearing the children. There were framed family photographs, lots of them. Hurleys. Sliotars. Jerseys. The men from the GAA clubs stepped forward and prepared to shoulder the remains into the church. One of them, stooping to take the burden, shook his head in disbelief when he saw the young lad's coffin. Then he hefted it aloft with his clubmates. Up the slope and to the doors where a bishop and a large number of local priests were waiting. [ 'We couldn't possibly have answers': Prayer service held in Co Clare for Fermanagh shooting victims Opens in new window ] [ 'Their infectious energy, their open smiles': Murder of mother and children has shaken Co Fermanagh community, service hears Opens in new window ] In the front row of mourners was Mary Whyte, Vanessa's mother. Her remaining sons and daughters and their children were there to comfort her. Three generations of a family in sorrow. Regina White gave the eulogy for her sister, niece and nephew. It was compelling in its testimony of love and also in its perfectly pitched description of a family torn apart by the violent actions of another. She talked about their personalities. Their funny little quirks. Their kindness. Their interests. The things that made them special. Vanessa: 'unique and irreplaceable … witty, bright and determined". Catching the bus to the All-Ireland final in 1997 with no ticket to the match, but getting one within an hour of reaching Dublin. Her love of animals and of her home county of Clare. Fourteen-year-old James: a kind boy with an infectious smile and strong sense of loyalty. He had a deep love of the GAA and idolised the hurlers from the Banner County. 'Our family find comfort in the fact that James got to experience the feelings of his county winning the All-Ireland last year,' said Regina. Thirteen-year-old Sara: she wanted to become a vet like her mother. 'She had a smile that would light a room and, like her brother, devilment was a core part of her personality . . . She was a normal, happy 13-year-old.' She never left home without Bunny, a small toy dog. 'When you saw Sara, Bunny was in close proximity. He will remain with her on her final journey.' So much to say about them. But so much more that had to be said about how they died. Regina Whyte did not shirk from this. 'Vanessa, James and Sara were taken from this world in a cruel and vicious manner. There are no words available to express how this has impacted our family and their friends. 'We as a family have been robbed of both a relationship with our sister and a chance to see James and Sara grow up, and they have been robbed of the remainder of their lives.' She steadied her wavering voice as mourners wept. They had been expecting the family in Clare this summer, as always. 'This was supposed to be a joyous occasion where Vanessa would see her new nephew Harry Joe, and Sara and James would meet their baby cousin for the first time. Instead we are in the position of choosing coffins, final burial places and funeral hymns.' These were difficult words but they needed to be said. 'For us as a family, the only comfort we have is that Vanessa, James and Sara are together and finally safe. 'Vanessa will have her children at either side of her forever, as they were when they were alive.' When their bodies were removed to Barefield after a service in Fermanagh attended by hundreds of people, they lay in repose in the 150-year-old church. There, the three coffins were placed at top of the aisle beneath three stained glass windows. The altar was beautifully decorated. And there, among the items by the steps was a wooden collection box for Women's Aid. At the requiem Mass representatives of the President, the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste were present. Jarlath Burns, the GAA president attended, as did staff from Enniskillen Royal Grammar School, where James and Sara were students. Bishop Gerard Nash concelebrated. 'Here in Barefield church today with Vanessa, James and Sara, we are in the land of 'I don't know',' he said in his homily. But while the tragic events of last week – 'the ripping away of three people from their family and friends' – has left people searching for answers, he reminded mourners that in dark times like this it is important to find the light. 'Darkness will not conquer.' After the Mass, Vanessa's brother Ivor thanked all the people who sent messages of comfort and support from all over the country. He thanked the local community for rallying around, and the GAA community from Fermanagh for its great support. Then he echoed the unflinching words spoken earlier by his sister Regina. 'We hope and pray that no other family has to experience the unimaginable grief and loss we have endured since the 23rd of July' he said. 'We hope that anyone who may live in fear today recognises that if they reach out, this love and support that is part of our communities will be there for them too.' Local men and women provided stewarding inside and outside the church. 'About 30 of us, and many more willing,' said one. A farmer opened his field for parking. The hearses prepared to move. Young Sara and James were as tall as their mother when they died – their coffins were the same. And then, just before the cortege left for Templemaley cemetery, Mary Whyte walked up to the leading hearse and sat in the passenger seat. If Vanessa was still leading her two children, still with them as she always was, then her mother would be there for her daughter too, accompanying her and her grandchildren on their final journey.
Irish Times
4 hours ago
- Irish Times
Elderly man secures safety order against ‘angry' son
An elderly man has secured a three-year safety order against his 'angry' son who he fears will 'do bad things' to his family. The man broke down while giving evidence at Dublin District Family Court as he sought a protective order from his son, who is aged in his 20s. He told Judge William Aylmer that while he loved his son, he and his family are 'afraid of him'. He told the court his son stole his bank card, used drugs, broke the door at the family home and vandalised his car. He claimed he was 'hurting his siblings and me and my wife'. READ MORE 'We are at his mercy. We are afraid of him, that maybe someday he will do bad things to us. I don't want that to happen,' he said, before becoming emotional in the witness stand. 'He doesn't respect me,' he said, adding that when his son returns home, he lets him inside. 'We love him; we give him food.' He told Judge Aylmer on Friday that his son left school before completing his Leaving Cert exams during the Covid-19 pandemic when remote classes were introduced. Since then, he claimed, his son 'started creating trouble in the family', began to use drugs and 'gets angry'. The son was arrested during a recent altercation at the family home, during which he breached an existing safety order held by his mother. The man claimed that last month, his son stole his bank card and took 'all the money', saying it was almost €200. He later allegedly stole a further sum of money in the region of €150 on the day of his arrest. 'Last night, he was banging the door until 3am, we had no sleep because of him,' he said, adding: 'All I want for him is to be good.' His son, who also attended the court on Friday morning, confirmed he has been charged with breaching the safety order held by his mother. He was told that if convicted for such a charge, this could result in a year-long sentence. Asked if he had been in prison before, he said he was but 'can't remember' what for. The son told the judge he has been trying to become 'financially stable' by 'messing around with social media and stuff'. He acknowledged there has been 'trouble in the house and outside the house'. Judge Aylmer granted the father a three-year safety order, which prohibits the son from committing or threatening violence towards his father. The judge told the son: 'Clearly, you have been causing him to be in fear of you. That's unacceptable.' Noting he will not be prohibited from being at the family home, the judge said the father could bar him himself as 'you're an adult'.
Extra.ie
8 hours ago
- Extra.ie
Mum and kids killed in Fermanagh shooting are 'together and finally safe', funeral hears
Crowds turned out in the Co Clare village of Barefield for the funeral of a murdered mother and her children. Veterinary surgeon Vanessa Whyte, 45, and her children James Rutledge, 14, and Sara Rutledge, 13, died in a shooting incident at their home in Maguiresbridge, Co Fermanagh, in July. Agricultural contractor Ian Rutledge, 43, who died on Monday, is understood to be the only suspect in the shooting of his family. Vanessa, James and Sara were laid to rest on Saturday. Pic: Noel Sweeney/PA Wire Police in Northern Ireland have said a triple murder and attempted suicide was a line of inquiry. Following a service of removal in Maguiresbridge on Wednesday, a funeral service took place for Vanessa and her children in Barefield, where she was originally from. Crowds travelled to attend the funeral at the Church of the Immaculate Conception on Saturday. Many of the mourners wore GAA jerseys and bright colours as requested by the family as they lined the main street to watch the three hearses pass by. Symbols were placed at each of the three victims' coffins by their family and friends to remember them for what they loved. Cattle tags and a blue card were laid at veterinarian Vanessa's coffin to celebrate the 'unique and irreplaceable' life she led. A hurley was placed at James' coffin as 'the pitch was his second home'. His spirit of 'loyalty, dependability and kindness' was what he carried with him on and off the pitch. A toy cat was given as a tribute to Sara to demonstrate her love for animals and to represent how she was 'calm, quietly attentive and always there.' Vanessa's sister, Regina, then read a heartbreaking and touching eulogy for all three of the victims. Regina began: 'From an early age, Vanessa was destined to become a vet. As a child, Vanessa grew to love the land and more specifically, the animals that roamed it. 'She had a keen interest in the well-being of animals, which was highlighted by the purchase of a donkey with her newfound wealth from making her First Holy Communion… 'Vanessa was a witty, bright, kind and determined young lady. She would sit for hours nursing sick lambs, kittens and calves.' The three victims were huge GAA and animal lovers. Pic: Noel Sweeney/PA Wire Regina told a story about how Vanessa left her job in a local shop at 15 because she saw the owner mistreating a bird. She also explained her sister's love for the GAA led her to travel up to Dublin for the All-Ireland final in 1997 despite not having a ticket. This proved not to be an issue for Vanessa as she secured herself a ticket within 'an hour of reaching the capital.' Vanessa also loved to return to her native Clare, and it was where she 'truly relaxed'. Regina then moved on to the eulogies of Vanessa's 'world' – her children. She said: 'From a young age, James was exposed to the GAA… 'Over the last number of days, the GAA community have acknowledged James as the kind, bright, determined young teenager we as a family know so well. 'His vibrance and divilment in training often resulted in extra laps and push-ups but ultimately deeper friendships. 'James' smile was infectious and his loyalty was strong.' Recently, James was a part of the Fermanagh under-15 hurling team that narrowly lost the All-Ireland league final. Regina added: 'Although word on the street is that James wore his Clare jersey coming and going from the dressing room.' She recalled playing hurling with James in the local pitches and that he was never seen without his hurley or Gaelic football. His family find comfort that James got to witness his beloved Clare hurling team win the All-Ireland last year. Regina then told the church about 13-year-old Sara and her love for animals. She said: 'Her dream was to follow in her mother's footsteps and become a veterinary surgeon. 'When Sara is mentioned, the immediate association is with her beloved cats – Rosie in particular – and their well-being became our responsibility in recent times. 'Sara will be delighted to know that their new home and family will love and take care of them, as did she.' The community has been shaken 'to its core'. Pic: Noel Sweeney/PA Wire Sara played football and hurling just like her brother and although she was 'quiet and reserved', Sara had 'a smile that would light up a room'. Regina described her as a 'normal, happy 13-year-old teenager whose friends attest to her kindness, warmth and passion for life'. She also never left home without 'Bunny', a small toy dog. Regina continued: 'Over the years, there were many searches for Bunny in many houses over the country. He was often found in the bottom of her schoolbag or the pocket of the car door. 'When you saw Sara, Bunny was in close proximity and he will remain with her on her final journey.' Sara also learned a lot about the farm and always followed her mother and brother out to look after her herd. Regina concluded: 'Vanessa, James and Sara were taken from this world in a cruel and vicious manner. 'There are no words available to express how this has impacted our family and their friends. 'We as a family have been robbed of both our relationship with our sister and the chance to see James and Sara grow up and they have been robbed of the remainder of their lives. 'It has taken us 11 days to be in a position where we can have Vanessa, James and Sara back in Clare. 'This was supposed to be a happy and joyous occasion, where Vanessa would see her new nephew and Sara and James would meet their baby cousin Harry Joe for the first time. 'Instead, we are in the position of choosing coffins, final burial places and funeral hymns. 'For us, as a family, the only comfort we have is that Vanessa, James and Sara are together and finally safe. 'Vanessa will have her children at either side of her forever, as they were when they were alive.' Vanessa, James and Sara are to be buried together in Templemaley Cemetery.
