Hundreds attend funerals for mum and children

A wave of grief enveloped the village of Barefield in Clare earlier today, as hundreds gathered outside the Church of the Immaculate Conception to mourn the tragic deaths of Vanessa Whyte and her two children, James and Sara.

The mother and children died in a suspected triple murder-suicide in Co Fermanagh last month, with their burial taking place in Templemaley Cemetery.

The deaths of Vanessa (45), James (14), and Sara (13) sent shockwaves through the nation.

Vanessa and her daughter were found dead at their home in Maguiresbridge on July 23, with James passing away the following day in hospital.

Ian Rutledge, the children’s father and Vanessa’s husband, later died from injuries sustained in the same incident.

Police are treating the tragedy as a suspected case of domestic violence resulting in multiple murders and a subsequent suicide attempt.

Mourners, many visibly heartbroken, responded to the family’s request to wear bright and cheerful colours in celebration of the lives lost.

Vanessa, originally from Barefield, worked as a veterinarian for Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture and had planned a family holiday in Clare.

Both children were active in their local GAA club, and clubs from Clare, Galway, and Fermanagh formed a solemn guard of honour as the three coffins arrived at the church.

During the funeral Mass, Vanessa’s sister Regina Whyte delivered a moving eulogy, describing the brutal loss as a cruel injustice.

“We have been robbed,” she said. “Robbed of seeing James and Sara grow up, and of sharing life’s joys with Vanessa.”

She added that Vanessa should have been returning to Clare to celebrate the birth of her nephew, not to be mourned.

Despite the immense sorrow, Regina offered a message of peace: “Vanessa will have her children at either side of her forever. For us, the only comfort is that they are together and finally safe.”