Wedding of the Week: Picture-perfect moments for Cork bride and groom in their home town
Buttevant GAA Club members give the newlyweds a guard of honour as they emerge from St Mary's Church. Pictures: Sally MacMonagle
They feel like they’ve known one another all their lives as both are from the same north Cork town. Áine Fitzpatrick and Darren Healy said their “I dos” a year to the day after their engagement on December 28, 2023.
Áine and Darren exchanged vows on December 28, 2024, in their local church, St Mary’s, Buttevant, where they were married by parish priest Fr Eugene Baker. “We’re both from Buttevant so we always knew each other but only got to know each other more in recent years,” says Áine. “Fr Eugene made sure the ceremony was fab — everyone had a right laugh.”
Adding to the fun of the occasion were the groom’s teammates from Buttevant GAA Club who provided a guard of honour, complete with hurleys.
Photographer Sally MacMonagle was behind the lens, as was Under The Veil, videographer, capturing moments that were special to the newlyweds. These included portraits of Áine and Darren with two people close to their hearts.
“Darren’s grandmother Mary Waters was at the wedding and after the Mass, I visited my grandfather John Thompson in Windmill Nursing Home,” says Áine.
Next stop was Maryborough Hotel & Spa, Douglas, Cork, and leading the celebrations were both sets of parents, Marion and Seán Fitzpatrick and Phil and Teddy Healy.
Áine chose her sister Niamh Fitzpatrick and cousin Emily Fitzpatrick together with her best friend Rachel Kennedy to be her bridesmaids. Darren’s brother Tadhg Healy was his best man and his friends Mick Collins and Paul Mannix were his groomsmen. Also delighted to be at the heart of the action in the role of pageboys and flowergirls were Albie and Willow Lenton and Rían and Fiadh Healy.
The revelry commenced with what the bride describes as “a vibrant drinks reception” in the orangery at Maryborough Hotel, during which musician Ryan Parsons provided the entertainment. “He was incredible,” says Áine. “It was also wonderful to be surrounded by our families and friends — and everyone was in top form! The meal was delicious and Hell For Leather (our wedding band) got the place going and they danced all night.
“Plenty of friends and relatives travelled from Australia, Dubai, Canada, Amsterdam, the UK and the USA to be with us on the day.”
Áine looked super-chic in her dream wedding dress, sourced in The White Room in Mullingar. “Audrey Cashman, UpStyle Junkie, did my hair and Bla Griffin was the makeup artist,” she adds. “Kristine Hayes created the floral arrangements.” Red Church and Barry’s Menswear, Mallow, ensured the groom and his party were dapper. O’Neill’s Bar, Buttevant, hosted the day-two celebrations.
Áine, a teacher at St Patrick’s Boys’ National School in Mallow, and Darren, who works in his family’s business in Buttevant, Healy Furniture, are currently building their dream home. “The new house will be located where I grew up, near the family farm,” says Áine.
The newlyweds holidayed in the sun after the big day. “We went to the Canary Islands straight after the wedding and are planning a honeymoon for later in the year,” says Áine.
- If you would like your wedding featured in Weekend email eve.kelliher@examiner.ie
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