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A shotgun wedding in Fermanagh?

Boring username

A bride and groom decided to go ahead with their wedding after two of their guests were shot outside the church.

One of two men shot at the wedding subsequently died.

The incident occurred outside St Mary's Catholic Church in the rural village of Newtownbutler in Co Fermanagh at around lunchtime.

It's understood two men were shot outside the church shortly before the bride was due to walk up the aisle.

The church is just yards away from a local national school.

It's understood one man was shot in the chest, while the other man was shot in the arm. Both men are believed to be settled Travellers and from Longford and Westmeath. They were aged in their 60s and 30s.

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/bride-and-groom-exchange-vows-after-fatal-shooting-at-their-wedding-30983981.html

This is bizarre-a man is shot dead outside the church before the wedding, but the bride and groom continue with the ceremony? The best man's speech just got a lot tougher.... :eek:

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Sunnyisland

My name is URL wrote: »

He was shot and died as a result, ergo shot dead.

Serious enough to cancel? Two guests were shot outside the church, one needed to be airlifted to hospital while barely clinging onto life!

I think any right-minded person would say that's serious enough to warrant cancelling the ceremony!

It's not as if some granny twisted her ankle on the way up the steps

A spurned lover sought revenge as he went on a shooting rampage at his ex’s Traveller wedding, it's been claimed.

The jealous ex went to shoot the groom outside St Mary’s Church in Newtownbutler, Co Fermanagh at around 1pm on Wednesday but missed and shot another wedding guest instead.

A man in his sixties died in the shooting despite frantic efforts to save him.

Horrified wedding guests looked on as another man was injured in the shooting. A third man was stabbed during the wedding horror.

Sinn Fein councillor Thomas O’Reilly said: “According to reports it seems that a jealous man who had previously been going out with the bride turned up to try and shot the groom.

Ronan McGrade/Fermanagh HeraldA police helicopter was sent to the scene after a gunman opened fire at a wedding in Newtownbutler, Co Fermanagh
“He missed the groom but shot the man standing beside him. Another man was shot and another was stabbed.

“One of them seems to be fairly serious.

“Guests at the wedding put them in cars and took them to the (police) barracks and then an ambulance was called by police and they were taken to hospital.

“There’s a white and black car still sitting at the church.

“The shooting happened outside the church on the pavement but I think the bride was inside the church at the time of the shooting.”

He added: “It’s very traumatic for the wedding guests and people here are very shocked that this happened adjacent to the primary school.

“My thoughts are with those who are injured.”

The revenge claim was denied by a Traveller source on behalf of the bride's family.

PSNI Detective Chief Inspector Michael Harvey said: “The victim was shot along with another man outside a chapel on Main Street in Newtownbutler at around 1pm this afternoon.

“He was flown to hospital in a Police helicopter but died from his injuries.

“The other man, who is in his thirties, is not believed to have sustained any life threatening injuries.

Ronan McGrade/Fermanagh HeraldAn ambulance at the scene in Newtownbutler, Co Fermanagh
The injured men were driven from the wedding to nearby Lisnaskea police station in a white van where cops called an ambulance and an emergency helicopter was scrambled to take two of the men to hospital.

Lisnaskea police station is cordoned off where the white van can be seen abandoned outside its gates.

Bloodied bandages and dressings can be seen strewn lying outside on the road near the van.

A source close to the scene said: “It’s surreal.

“Bridge Road is cordoned off but up the street you can see a bride coming out of the church in a gigantic white wedding dress, with her bridesmaids in white dresses.

“They are getting into limos and it’s kind of surreal as the wedding is going on as normal.

“We didn’t hear the shots and there’s no ambulance here now, there’s just a police man standing at the end of the cordoned off area of Bridge Street.”

Father Michael King, who married the couple minutes after the wedding horror, described how he heard the shots.

He said: "It was a wedding of Travellers and the bride arrived at ten to one.

"I was in the sacristy getting ready and the bride was at the back of the church waiting to go up the aisle and the next thing I heard was, 'The shots, the shots, the shots'.

"And I said, 'God what's going on here?'

"So I went outside and I saw there was a fella, I didn't actually see him, but there was a fella lying on the road and there was five or six fellas round him and I was going to go down to him but the next thing he got up on his feet, so I came back to the Sacristy to get ready for the wedding."

He added: "There were two men shot. One was shot in the chest and the other was shot in the leg and there was other injured with a type of knife in the back of the hand.

"There was three of them injured.

"We got the ambulance and the police."

Father King added: "I went ahead with the wedding, I could do nothing else.

"Because they were anxious to get this girl married. So I went on ahead and did Mass for the wedding.

"The bride was a bit traumatised alright.

"I told her to take a few deep breaths and to relax herself and that she was safe here."

He added: "It happened so fast."

A source said the shooter tried to make their escape in a white car that crashed near the scene.

Sinn Fein councillor Thomas O'Reilly, whose office overlooks Bridge Street, said he understood the shooting took place at a wedding attended by members of the travelling community at St Mary's church.

St Mary's primary school is adjacent to the church and its playground overlooks the scene.

"In a very small rural area and village such as Newtownbutler, it is shocking that something like this would happen," said Mr O'Reilly.

"I certainly would hope that those who have been injured make a full recovery and obviously this was very traumatic for guests and people at the wedding and those who have been caught up in the incident."

UUP MLA Tom Elliott said: "It is horrific that a gun attack should take place anywhere, but when it happens in the grounds of a church and at a wedding it is even more sinister.

"There seems to be an element of people today for whom nothing is sacred and as a result two people required hospital treatment.

“It is very worrying that certain people have access to firearms and willing to use them for any reason.

Sunnyisland

From the mirror,

Sheep Lover

realies wrote: »

From the mirror,

Should of left it there really, some wall of text. Wanta tldr it for us?

My name is URL

eviltwin wrote: »

Did you even read the article, the wedding went ahead presumably after police had arrived. It's not like she stepped over a dying man to get into the church.

Yes I read it and I think it's absurd and disgusting that they decided and were allowed to go ahead with the ceremony despite what had just happened

Just my opinion.. fair enough if others have differing ones.

The Aussie

What make is the Black car? Is it going cheap?

I'm looking for one, White shows up to much dirt.

Atlantic Dawn

The priest should have called a halt to the whole thing after the initial shooting.

mikom

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

The priest should have called a halt to the whole thing after the initial shooting.

He probably wanted to live.

mikemac1

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

The priest should have called a halt to the whole thing after the initial shooting.

If he cancelled after the tens of thousands the families had spent he would be the next one getting airlifted to hospital

Boring username

mikom wrote: »

He probably wanted to live.

And there's only so much faith a priest can have.....

Atlantic Dawn

mikom wrote: »

He probably wanted to live.

He will have to up his game and refit the altar...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAQy8v0d_qo

Irelandcool

Why didn't the priest perform the last rites instead of doing the wedding and the sacrament of sick.

Dan_Solo

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

Amazing how the ceremony could go ahead with somebody after being shot dead in the churchyard.

Surely funerals take precedence?

djflawless

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

The priest should have called a halt to the whole thing after the initial shooting.

More business for him. Can't see why he'd halt it
Wonder what excuse will be given if it was a rental suit??

fedor.2.

Buzz Meeks wrote: »

You're wrong if you say it isn't not a non story.
It's a Story.

Sorry, I meant its a non story as far as im concerned. I should have said that. Apologies.

foggy_lad

mfceiling wrote: »

No fault to you realies but you must be very dumb or very naive if your 1st thought was a republican attack.

I was sitting with 5 other lads when it came on the radio. 3 immediately said "travellers" and myself and the other 2 lads said that we were thinking the same.

No manners or respect to shoot anyone and even worse to do it in a church.

My first thought was that "****e in a bucket" was out for revenge

Specialun

Would the priest get a double gig....

Sheep Lover

Specialun wrote: »

Would the priest get a double gig....

Maybe, more likely he'd get a double barrel

coconnellz

he wasn't the best man I bet

Odyssey 2005

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

The priest should have called a halt to the whole thing after the initial shooting.

mikom wrote: »

He probably wanted to live.

He continued with the ceremony "Because they were anxious to get this girl married ":eek:

kingchess

They should be mighty craic at the reception after this,I wonder which hotel has the honour of hosting the blushing bride and bashful groom?.

mikom

The wedding video is being released by Miramax Films on Monday.
Kill Bill Volume 3

Kerrydude1981

"Holy God!!"said Miley

Thought this kind of thing only went down in weddings in Eastenders and the likes.

arybvtcw0eolkf

eviltwin wrote: »

He wasn't shot dead, he died later in hospital. Possibly the bride and groom didn't think things were serious enough to cancel.

Because a double shooting is never a serious matter?.

Boring username

Jaxon Grumpy Parakeet wrote: »

Because a double shooting is never a serious matter?.

It gives us an interesting insight into just how normal extreme violence is within the travelling community. I'm sure Martin Collins is preparing a defensive statement as we speak, and blaming everyone except violent mafia types.

Odyssey 2005

Jaxon Grumpy Parakeet wrote: »

Because a double shooting is never a serious matter?.

Of course it's not....it's their culture. I'll bet the reception was a blast !

Sheep Lover

Odyssey 2005 wrote: »

Of course it's not....it's their culture. I'll bet the reception was a blast !

They had a shell of a time

[Deleted User]

Father King added: "I went ahead with the wedding, I could do nothing else.

"Because they were anxious to get this girl married.

They were, were they??

Hitchens

is this not sub judice, or is it only when or if it comes to trial?

Boring username

Hitchens wrote: »

is this not sub judice, or is it only when or if it comes to trial?

North of the border old bean.

bb1234567

are travellers seriously considered a different ethnic group by some people? different culture yes, ethnicity I think not.