Shielding herself against the wind, Claire Dornan walks up the steps of Parliament Buildings and bows her head to remember a pregnant woman stabbed to death a week before Christmas.
It’s seven years since Dornan’s sister, Jennifer, was brutally murdered in her own home; the Belfast woman has come to a silent vigil at Stormont to support the family of Natalie McNally, the 32-year-old killed in her Lurgan home.
“It’s just horrible. For me, it brings back so many different things, so many bad memories,” she says.
“I know exactly what Natalie’s family are going through and I actually feel like crying. Everybody is here talking – but to go through it as a family is just so hard.”
It’s time for a reality check about certain ‘weight loss’ drugs, and here’s why
TV View: Roy Keane cracks a smile as ‘donkey derby’ raises a late gallop
Mario Rosenstock: ‘Everyone lost money in the crash. I was no different, but it never bothered me’
Denis Walsh: Unbreakable, a cautionary tale about the heavy toll top-level rugby can take
Ms McNally’s three brothers stand ashen at the top of the steps beside a graduation photograph of their only sister, who was 15 weeks pregnant with a baby boy when she was attacked on December 18th.
A separate picture of Bruna Fonseca, who was found dead in an apartment in Cork on New Year’s Day, is carefully placed nearby.
Quietly thanking those who have gathered – victim support groups and politicians are among the crowd – as well as those who have supported his family, Declan McNally is applauded after saying that “everybody in society has to redouble our efforts to end violence against women and girls, in memory of our sister Natalie”.
Ms McNally’s killer remains at large and grainy CCTV footage of the chief suspect – he is captured in her street on the evening of the murder – has been used by police in appeals for information.
Claire Dornan says she has watched the footage “a thousand times over”.
“I’ve been watching for small things as I know how important the CCTV was in getting a conviction for Jennifer’s killer [Raymond O’Neill, who denied murdering the mother of three, received a 22-year prison sentence last April].
“Everybody said the CCTV footage in our case was poor but I always had that wee bit of hope that someone would have seen him. I’m hoping that somebody now knows the man who killed Natalie.”
The vigil was organised by first minister designate Michelle O’Neill, amid the ongoing political impasse and Stormont collapse.
Flanking the brothers – who hold on to each other as a minute’s silence is observed – the Sinn Féin deputy leader pays tribute to “all victims of gender-based violence, all those who have lost their lives”.
The event comes four months after the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) launched its first action plan to tackle violence against women and girls, describing it as a “crucial step in turning the tables against violent men”.
Ms McNally was the fourth woman to be murdered in her own home in the North last year.
“We have a problem in our society with misogyny and we need to tackle it,” she adds.
“The most powerful message we can send today is enough is enough. We’re not going to tolerate this in society.”
Joanne Dorrian, whose 25-year-old sister, Lisa, vanished in 2005 and is presumed murdered, is standing close by.
The campaigner and victims’ advocate, who is pregnant, says she was “always going to be here today”.
She has become close friends with Claire Dornan and the pair have met at Stormont’s gates today.
“I think it’s absolutely crucial that the McNally family know they are supported by people who have gone through a very similar thing but also that they’re supported by the wider community as well,” Dorrian says.
“We’re nearly 18 years on now and the fact people are still speaking Lisa’s name and still stopping me in the street and in the supermarket is testament to what she meant to people.”
Dornan nods in agreement.
“I’ve spoken to the McNally family and let them know we’re here for them. It’s hard to explain how horrific this is unless you’ve gone through it – we want to offer them that bit of support and guide them through.”
