Friday, February 8, 2013

Jennifer & Andy - Kilronan Castle

The last day of the year was one of the biggest ones of 2012 for Ballaghadereen. The town emptied out and headed for Kilronan Castle for the wedding of one of its favourite sons to one of its favourite daughters, as long-term sweeethearts Jennifer & Andy tied the knot. If the groom looks familiar to you, it's because he's the Mayo County Captain, and though the team went all the way to the All-Ireland Final without him, after he ruptured his cruciate ligament in the Quarter Final, many experts believe Sam Maguire would have crossed the Shannon and returned to Mayo if he hadn't been injured.

Sometimes, calling to the groom's house on the morning of a wedding, you might encounter a couple of sore heads, or a groomsman having a little stiffner for the day ahead. Not so with these lads. They'd just come back from a vigourous 90-minute workout at the local gym. Meanwhile, Jennifers house was buzzing with activity, and Milly the Puggle was in the thick of it. Once David finally got his hair just right and vacated the bathroom, the bridesmaids got a chance to get themselves ready. Jennifer looked fantastic in a spectacular dress adorned with swan feathers and cathedral-length veil. The lads smartened up nicely too in their black tie gear.

Marguerite, Jenni's Mum, is a florist, and she'd done a beautiful job of decorating the Cathedral. She even took time to put the finishing touches to Andy's buttonhole in the porch on her way in. After the ceremony, we had a quick stop in the grounds of Abbey House in Boyle, dodging between the showers. Amanda & Catheriona were a fine pair of feisty bridesmaids, so there was plenty of banter flying around as they showed off their "America's Next Top Model" moves. Back at the Castle, the Mayo Squad assembled for a team photo with the happy couple. Straight after the wedding, the team was heading for Miami for some pre-season R&R, which they obviously enjoyed thoroughly, judging by their first defeat in 20 years at the hands of Leitrim when they got back. Jennifer & Andy didn't make the trip to Miami, they flew off to sunny Mexico instead. Alan Kelly was alongside me on video for the day, while Bumblebee Honey got the dancing going well past midnight and into 2013.

Jennifer & Andy Blog

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