25th August 2016
Errisbeg House

Photography by Aoife Herriott

Connemara is one of those magical places that once you’ve visited, you want to come back again and again.

I was lucky enough to meet Joseph, whose hometown is picturesque Roundstone, and after eight years together, living and working between Sydney, Australia, and Roundstone, we knew that when we were to marry, it would be in Ireland, specifically in Roundstone. That was not just because of wanting all our Irish family and friends to share the day with us, but also due to the ambiance, the people, and the landscapes, which we knew would make it a once-in-a-lifetime experience for our overseas guests, too. We had already picked Errisbeg House as the ideal place for the wedding. We would walk past it almost daily when we lived in Roundstone—with its beautiful grounds and the house itself as a backdrop, it was an easy decision. As important as the house and grounds were to the planning, Richard de Stacpoole—the owner of Errisbeg and a dear family friend of the Conneelys—has boundless energy and is unflappable. Since we were 17,000 kilometres away, Richard was on board from day one to ensure that our wedding went off without a hitch, acting as our local liaison when we were unable. We worked with all local vendors and suppliers to keep everything within the community, and we pulled in favours left, right, and centre—we have the best friends and family! We decided on a civil ceremony in the garden; Joe and his sister Orla made a beautiful A-frame, under which we exchanged vows. In true Connemara style, birch saplings were cut from the family home’s driveway and jigged together with bunting and flowers to make the perfect setting for a country wedding. We were incredibly blessed with the weather ... there must have been a Child of Prague out the night before in every garden in the county, as the sun was beating down! The reception was held in a decorated marquee in the grounds of Errisbeg, so the ceremony led straight into canapés and champagne during a quick photo session in the garden, with the reception immediately following. The food was fabulous, the band phenomenal, the speeches funny and short. The momentum just kept building, and we all danced the night away!

Our thanks to all of those who made ours the perfect wedding!

—C—

Vendors:
Flowers (including bride’s floral head wreath): Connemara Florist – Clifden, Pamela McCullough
Interfaith Minister: Geraldine Bown
Videography: Pat Coyne, Renvyle
Cake: Noleen O’Neill (Joe’s sister)
Catering: Green Olive Catering by Jacinta Lynam
Shuttle Bus: Peader Og
Hair: Clare Allman, Toni and Guy, Maastricht
Makeup: Colleen Allman McGrath – MAC specialist, Galway
Location: Errisbeg House