Holiday Stab Victims Laid To Rest In Ulster

The two women stabbed to death in Turkey last week were buried in their home country of Northern Ireland today.

Marion Graham and Kathy Dinsmore were killed near the west coast city of Izmir while they were on holiday.

There were two services held, one this morning and the other this afternoon, so that both families could be present at each ceremony.

Hundreds of mourners attending requiem mass for Ms Graham at St Mary's Church in Newry being told by the local priest, Fr John Byrne, she was "a loving mother and great friend".

"The death of any of us is inescapable - it is a reality of life - however the time of our death and the circumstances surrounding it can never be predicted," Fr Byrne said.

The victim's children, Martina, Loraine, David, Shannon, and Karen followed the hearse carrying their mother's coffin as it made its way to the church where she was laid to rest in the adjoining cemetery.

Later, requiem mass for Cathy Dinsmore followed at St Peter's in her hometown of Warrenpoint.

Delivering her homily, Canon John Kearney said her death has "paralysed" the local community with grief.

"For so many people in this church today, the death of Cathy has turned their world upside down," he said.

A Turkish waiter, Recep Cetin, the only suspect in the double murder, was the boyfriend of Ms Graham's 15-year-old daughter Shannon and it has been suggested that he attacked the women after being refused permission to marry the underage teenager.

Their bodies were flown into Dublin airport on Wednesday and Shannon was among friends and family who accompanied the hearses on their sombre journey home.

It is likely the suspect, whose true age is not known, will be held in custody for at least another week as the Islamic holy month ends on August 30th.

See: Sad Return Of Turkish Murder Victims' Families

(BMcC/KMcA)