Omagh fire victims funeral today
A funeral for a family-of-seven killed in a house fire in the North is to be held later today.
Arson suspect Arthur McElhill, 39, will be buried in a separate grave from partner Lorraine McGovern, 30, and their five children following the service in Omagh, Co Tyrone.
Their Lammy Crescent house was left a blackened shell following the blaze on November 13, and a police murder probe has centred on the father.
After the service ends at the town's Catholic Sacred Heart Church, Mr McElhill will be buried in Ederney, Co Fermanagh, while partner Lorraine McGovern and children will be interred across the border at Corlough, Co Cavan.
Monsignor Joseph Donnelly, parish priest at the Sacred Heart, will be the chief celebrant at today's Mass.
Ms McGovern died in the fire with her five children - Caroline, 13, Sean, seven, Bellina, four, Clodagh, 19 months, and nine-month-old baby James. They will be buried in her home village, nine miles from Ballyconnell.
Post-mortem examinations said all seven died as a result of smoke inhalation.
Mr McElhill had convictions for sex offences against young women and once served 18 months in prison before moving to live in Omagh. Neighbours claimed he had been suffering from depression and had been under medication at the time of the fire.
Inquests will be held later, but in the meantime the police investigation will continue. Detectives have made no comment since they announced the day after the fire that they were treating the deaths as murder.
As well as relatives of both families, hundreds are expected to attend the funerals, among them Caroline's second year classmates at the Sacred Heart High School and friends of Sean and Bellina, who attended St Connor's Primary School, not far from where they lived.
A motion calling for a public inquiry into the tragedy is due to be debated by Omagh Council next month.
