The parents of a teenage girl killed in a horrific multi-death car accident in Co Fermanagh were tonight trying to come to terms with the shock of discovering they had buried the wrong person.
The funeral of 16-year-old Anita Swift was held in Newtownbutler on Tuesday, two days after she and three young friends died in a crash near Lisnaskea.
But it turned out the authorities made an identification mess up and the Swifts had been given the body of their daughter's friend Danica O'Rourke. The shocking mistake became known after Danica's funeral, which was to have taken place in Lisnaskea on Wednesday, was cancelled.
The coffin in which Anita Swift should have been buried in was exhumed and further forensic tests proved the body to be that of Danica.
The Swift's buried Anita's remains during a highly private ceremony at 6.30am today. Danica will be buried by her family in Lisnaskea tomorrow.
A statement issued by the Court Service on behalf of the Coroners Office tonight confirmed, and sought to explain what had gone wrong.
The statement did not offer a public apology to either of the grieving families.
The statement said: "In the difficult circumstances of last weekend's tragic car accident in Fermanagh, given the confusion surrounding the information at hand, there was an initial physical misidentification concerning the female fatalities.
"The question of identity was resolved following further forensic examinations." It added: "Anita's funeral has now taken place and Danica's funeral will follow in accordance with her family's wishes.
"The families are fully aware of the situation and have asked that their privacy be respected. "The thoughts of all those who have been involved in this tragic accident go out to the two grieving families at this difficult time."
A friend of the families, who knows the state they are in, said: "Somebody has to answer for this. It is too bad it ended up with more agony and pain for the families."
Two 21-year-old men killed in the crash, Peter Leonard and Jonathan McDonald were buried earlier in the week in their respective home towns of Lisnaskea and Newtownbutler.
All four had been in the back of a car which crashed off the road in the early hours of Sunday morning. The front seat passenger and 19-year-old male driver escaped with minor injuries.
The driver was arrested by police and later bailed pending further inquiries.