Thursday, September 16, 2010

Castles & Kilts

It was an All-American affair at the beautiful Markree Castle Hotel yesterday, as Mike and Lisa literally "tied the knot" in a ceremony conducted by Celtic Priest, Dara Molloy.

Mike looked every inch the Clan Chieftain surveying his lands as he took in the view from his room before hittting the bar for a quick nerve-settling brandy, while Lisa lived up to her reputation as she hurried to avoid being too late for the ceremoy.

The guests came from Alaska to Atlanta, from Seattle to South Carolina, all of them close friends of Mike and Lisa, though many of them didn't know each other beforehand. A pubcrawl in Sligo on the eve of the wedding is a great way of bonding though, and there was a lovely, intimate feel to the affair. During dinner, many of the guests got to their feet to tell their own tales of, and pay tribute to the happy couple, something I haven't seen at an Irish wedding.

The meal finished with a flourish, as Frank from Fairbanks decapitated a bottle of fine champagne with a sword. Someone elses flash went off while my shutter was open, whiting out Frank's face, but Lisa & Jennifers' expressions save the shot - you can see the top of the bottle and cork in flight just over Jennifer's head. After dinner, Celtic Rhythm dancers performed a whirlwind show. The feet were flying, and they got eceryone in the mood for dancing. As I was leaving, Tommy Byrne and the Big Jigs Band were teaching some very bemused Americans how to dance the Siege of Ennis, with mixed results....

Flowers by Micéal Feehily.

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