ROYAL OCCASION Margie Coghlan, Trish Hoban, Marie Wilson, Breda Gilvarry and Angela Moran pop open the Champagne to celebrate the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.
Westport wedding party fit for a Queen
Neill O’Neill
THERE’S nothing quite like a wedding to bring friends together, and who cares if you’re not actually invited.
While the future King of England was marrying his would-be Queen last Friday there were celebrations the length and breadth of the country, so The Mayo News decided to pop in on one of the many local wedding parties to see what all the fuss was about.
Marie Wilson from Moyhastin - a couple of miles outside Westport - decided several months ago that the ‘wedding of the decade’ was an occasion not to be missed, and set about planning a spectacle that would not have been out of place in Buckingham Palace. In fact, with custom made invites complete with royal seals delivered by confused postmen several weeks back, and meticulous planning evident all round, it seemed the only thing missing were the Corgis. There was a champagne breakfast, Pimms on the lawn at noon, canapés for lunch, specially commissioned Union Jack cupcakes (the likes of which this reporter has never seen), a personalised four-tier wedding cake (seriously) and a host of flags and William and Kate memorabilia dotted around the house. Then there was the fabulous fivesome, HRH Marie leading the charge along with her cohorts, The Archduchess of Ardmore Margie Coghlan, and her neighbour Trish Hoban – The Marchioness of East Westport. Also joining them was the Countess of the Quay, Angela Moran, and their regal neighbour from the next kingdom over – The Baroness of Castlebar - Breda Gilvarry.
The red carpet – kindly lent from The Castlecourt Hotel - was out for the occasion and with framed pictures of Prince William as a baby adorning the walls, and the ladies bedecked in all their finery, including headpieces, they settled down to watch the ceremony. There were no tears however, just laughter emanating from the house throughout the morning, and after attempts to hire a limo to take the ladies on tour proved unsuccessful, and with no open top carriage readily available for transport, they set off for an evening meal in the sumptuous surroundings of Knockranny House Hotel.
“People might say we’re mad”, said Marie, “and nobody is saying they’re wrong, but it is all a bit of fun and something to remember the day and the event by.”
Fun, they certainly seemed to be having.
