Wedding of the Week: Attraction and tractors for John and Tracie

The Cork couple met in Killarney, had their first date in Macroom — and then headed back across the county border to get engaged and married in Kerry

Tracie Corcoran and John Murphy. Pictures: Dermot Sullivan, Dermotsullivan.com

This groom ensured he got to the church on time by revving up a New Holland T7.245.

Tracie Corcoran and John Murphy. Pictures: Dermot Sullivan, Dermotsullivan.com

John Murphy alighted from the tractor at Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Church in Rathmore, County Kerry, to exchange vows with his bride, Tracie Corcoran.

Tracie Corcoran and John Murphy with their guests. Pictures: Dermot Sullivan, Dermotsullivan.com

Tracie, from Enniskeane, County Cork, and John, from Rathmore, County Cork, were married on April 1 by Father Pat O’Donnell. “Fr Pat is the nicest priest you could meet, he made us feel so at ease on the day,” adds the bride.

Tracie Corcoran and John Murphy with Jennifer Corcoran, Audrey O’Mahony, Elaine Finn, Con Murphy, Patrick Murphy and Shane Corcoran. Pictures: Dermot Sullivan, Dermotsullivan.com

Afterwards, it was off to Killarney’s Great Southern Hotel for the reception. “What these guys do in this hotel is second to none. Julie, the wedding consultant, is excellent, nothing was too much trouble, the food was divine, everyone is still talking about it,” says Tracie.

Tracie Corcoran and John Murphy with Jennifer Corcoran, Audrey O’Mahony, Elaine Finn, Con Murphy, Patrick Murphy and Shane Corcoran. Pictures: Dermot Sullivan, Dermotsullivan.com

Tracie and John’s paths had first crossed at another venue in town, the Killarney Grand Hotel, five years before. “We met on a night out back in 2018 and swapped numbers,” says Tracie. “I was slow to go on a date at first as I had nearly ‘given up’ on men, but John had a great manner about him so I said, ‘Why not?’ We ended up going to the Castle Hotel in Macroom for a meal as our first date and haven’t looked back since.”

Tracie Corcoran and John Murphy. Pictures: Dermot Sullivan, Dermotsullivan.com

They went back across the Cork-Kerry border to get engaged, and Killarney’s Lake Hotel was the backdrop for the proposal, in December 2021.

Their big day was “magical”, adds Tracie. “It went so fast, we wish we could do it all over again,” she says.

Tracie Corcoran and John Murphy. Pictures: Dermot Sullivan, Dermotsullivan.com

The bride looked picture-perfect in a Maggie Sottero Mirra wedding dress she sourced in Memories bridal boutique, Cork.

Emily Nowotynski (emilynova_makeup), Millstreet, was the bridal makeup artist, and the bridal party was also tended to by Bridal Tan by Tara, Ballincollig, while Kelly Ann Browne from Nova Hair, Dunmanway, was the hairstylist. “I actually went to Kelly Ann way back when I had my first proper date with John in 2018 and at the time Kelly Ann and I were joking, saying, ‘This will be the one now’ — and, sure weren’t we correct!”

Tracie Corcoran and John Murphy. Pictures: Dermot Sullivan, Dermotsullivan.com

The newlyweds’ photographer, Dermot Sullivan, proved to be a key event coordinator. “We would have been lost without him, from the minute he arrived that morning to the time he left us on the dance floor he had our day planned out to a tee,” says Tracie.

Raising a toast to their future happiness were both sets of parents, Liz and Joe Corcoran and Kathleen and Michael Murphy.

Tracie Corcoran and John Murphy. Pictures: Dermot Sullivan, Dermotsullivan.com

Tracie’s sister, Jennifer Corcoran, was her maid of honour while her friends, Audrey O’Mahony and Elaine Finn, were her bridesmaids. John’s brother, Con Murphy, was by his side as his best man while his brother, Patrick Murphy, joined forces with Tracie’s son, Shane Corcoran, in the role of groomsmen.

The couple’s son, Padraig Murphy, now 18 months (and, like his dad, “also loves tractors”, says Tracie), was the pageboy, along with the bride’s nephew, Conor Aherne. The groom’s cousins, Anna Brosnan and Ciara Fleming, were the flowergirls.

Tracie Corcoran and John Murphy. Pictures: Dermot Sullivan, Dermotsullivan.com

The wedding band, The Kelts, Millstreet, “had everyone dancing all night”, adds Tracie, while Enchanted, Macroom, created the floral arrangements, and Adam Paprocki, was behind the lens as the videographer.

The groom and his party cut a dash thanks to Tom Murphy Menswear, Cork City, and the wedding invitations were by Perfect Moments, Cork. “Very Vintage Occasions, Listowel, had refreshments for the guests outside the church, which went down a treat,” adds the bride.

Tracie Corcoran and John Murphy. Pictures: Dermot Sullivan, Dermotsullivan.com

The newlyweds, who live in Milstreet, Co Cork, plan to honeymoon in Vancouver, Canada, and embark on an Alaskan cruise.

Tracie is a concept design secretary at a civil/structural engineering and project management firm in Bandon and John is a lorry driver at MC Group, Killarney.

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