Hundreds gather for community vigil in memory of woman and children killed in Co Fermanagh shooting
A book of condolence, set up next to a framed photo of the family and surrounded by white flowers and candles, was also opened at the school.The principal of Maguiresbridge Primary School, Honor Irvine, described both James and Sara as popular pupils who loved sport.'I'm a teaching principal so I taught them both for two years,' she said.'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.She said the vigil, facilitated by the school, offered a place for the community to grieve together.'It's been lovely to hear people who knew Vanessa and knew Sara and knew James, talking about them and sharing memories,' she said.'For the community, its a place to mourn together and to support and comfort each other.'
She said the family were 'much loved' and would 'live on in our memories at Maguiresbridge Primary School for many, many years to come'.'It's hard to put it into words to be honest, we're just heartbroken. And I don't think it has sunk in, it will be the days and weeks ahead when we realise the tragic loss that has happened in this community,' she added.
The vigil was organised by the Village Rural Development Association to give people an opportunity to 'come together and support each other at this difficult time'.'This is an opportunity for our village to stand together in the face of such grief,' it said in a statement on social media.Flowers, teddy bears and an Arsenal football top with written notes have been laid close to scene of the incident in Drummeer Road.A fourth person, a man who was a member of the same household, remains in a serious condition in hospital in Belfast following the incident on Wednesday.A murder investigation has been launched and police said a triple murder and attempted suicide is one line of inquiry being pursued.
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Western Telegraph
2 days ago
- Western Telegraph
Haverfordwest alpaca farm to reopen after bird flu outbreak
Seven chickens at Sweet Home Alpaca in Haverfordwest were found dead at the end of June, with tests showing they had died from the disease. This resulted in the remaining 113 chickens at the farm being culled. The farm was then forced to close temporarily, meaning no alpaca experiences could take place. However, owner Angela Frayling-James has now shared the good news that some of the restrictions have been lifted, meaning the farm can reopen on Monday, August 4. Ms Frayling-James said: "I'm so excited. "We've just had the news that some of the restrictions on the farm have been lifted. "We've just been told we can start having customers again from Monday, August 4, onwards. "It's just amazing news after the past few weeks." The farm had been closed since the start of July after the bird flu outbreak was confirmed, meaning the popular alpaca walks, talks, and experiences had been unable to take place. This had left the owners unable to make a living. A GoFundMe page was set up to help the farm, which has so far raised more than £7,000 of a £9,000 target. On the page, organiser Peter said: "Angela and Alex rely on their alpaca experiences to make a living, and now being shut down due to a totally unexpected case of bird flu has halted all operations. "Currently, no guests can visit and enjoy a fun-filled day with the alpacas, no events can experience their alpacas taking part, and most importantly, Angela and Alex have lost so much that they have spent the last six years building up towards." Sweet Home Alpaca, which was named the best tour and attraction in Pembrokeshire for 2024 by TripAdvisor, is now looking for people to help them get the farm ready for the official reopening day on Monday. Ms Frayling-James added: "We've still got a really long way to go to getting the farm fully reopened, but we just want to say thank you to everyone who has sent us a message and all our donors, whoever you are, thank you so much. "Thank you to everyone who has reached out and offered us help. "We love every single one of you, and honestly without all of you we would not have been able to get through this."
The Sun
5 days ago
- The Sun
Faulty gadget is urgently recalled from UK supermarkets over safety hazard that could spark a fire
TOTAL RECALL The device doesn't comply with an important piece of safety legislation A POPULAR gadget is being urgently recalled after a shocking fire risk was revealed. The product is being pulled from supermarket shelves and shoppers are advised to return the item, if they have it. 2 2 The Goblin cordless vacuum is an immensely popular product, designed to make cleaning easy. However it is now being removed from shelves, after a fire risk was uncovered. A statement on the UK Government's website reads: "It has been identified that in some units of the Goblin handheld vacuum, the battery may overheat." The statement added that the device "does not meet the requirements of the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016". Your product recall rights Chief consumer reporter James Flanders reveals all you need to know. Product recalls are an important means of protecting consumers from dangerous goods. As a general rule, if a recall involves a branded product, the manufacturer would usually have lead responsibility for the recall action. But it's often left up to supermarkets to notify customers when products could put them at risk. If you are concerned about the safety of a product you own, always check the manufacturer's website to see if a safety notice has been issued. When it comes to appliances, rather than just food items, the onus is usually on you - the customer - to register the appliance with the manufacturer as if you don't there is no way of contacting you to tell you about a fault. If you become aware that an item you own has been recalled or has any safety noticed issued against it, make sure you follow the instructions given to you by the manufacturer. They should usually provide you with more information and a contact number on its safety notice. In some cases, the manufacturer might ask you to return the item for a full refund or arrange for the faulty product to be collected. You should not be charged for any recall work - such as a repair, replacement or collection of the recalled item Like us on Facebook at and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun.
ITV News
25-07-2025
- ITV News
Hundreds gather for community vigil in memory of woman and children killed in Co Fermanagh shooting
Hundreds of people have gathered for a community vigil in memory of a woman and her two teenage children who died following a shooting in Co wrapped their arms around each other as they remembered Vanessa Whyte, 45, a vet originally from Co Clare, her son James, 14, and daughter Sara, vigil was organised by a community group and held at the primary school, Maguiresbridge Primary School, where James and Sara previously attended. A book of condolence, set up next to a framed photo of the family and surrounded by white flowers and candles, was also opened at the principal of Maguiresbridge Primary School, Honor Irvine, described both James and Sara as popular pupils who loved sport.'I'm a teaching principal so I taught them both for two years,' she said.'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 said the vigil, facilitated by the school, offered a place for the community to grieve together.'It's been lovely to hear people who knew Vanessa and knew Sara and knew James, talking about them and sharing memories,' she said.'For the community, its a place to mourn together and to support and comfort each other.' She said the family were 'much loved' and would 'live on in our memories at Maguiresbridge Primary School for many, many years to come'.'It's hard to put it into words to be honest, we're just heartbroken. And I don't think it has sunk in, it will be the days and weeks ahead when we realise the tragic loss that has happened in this community,' she added. The vigil was organised by the Village Rural Development Association to give people an opportunity to 'come together and support each other at this difficult time'.'This is an opportunity for our village to stand together in the face of such grief,' it said in a statement on social teddy bears and an Arsenal football top with written notes have been laid close to scene of the incident in Drummeer Road.A fourth person, a man who was a member of the same household, remains in a serious condition in hospital in Belfast following the incident on Wednesday.A murder investigation has been launched and police said a triple murder and attempted suicide is one line of inquiry being pursued. Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know.
