Wedding of the Week: We married during Storm Amy as Gougane Barra flooded
Elisabeth Villa and Anthony McSweeney. Pictures: John Sexton Photography
As Ireland sweltered in record soaring temperatures this week, the scenes contrasted starkly with the snaps in Cork couple Elisabeth Villa and Anthony McSweeney’s wedding album.
The Ballincollig-based newlyweds, who enjoyed an Italian honeymoon this month, hit the headlines and the airwaves in October after refusing to let Storm Amy play spoilsport when floods engulfed the island where they were to exchange vows. “Looking back on the day, if the weather had been as sunny as we’d hoped, we wouldn’t have the photos that are some of our favourites,” says the bride.
Elisabeth, from Worcester, Massachusetts, and Anthony, from Ovens, Co Cork, were married in St Finbarr’s Oratory, Gougane Barra, by Fr Seán O’Sullivan and held their reception at the Gougane Barra Hotel. “Throughout the morning, we could see the water rising on the island and flooding the causeway over to the church,” says Elisabeth.
So, Neil Lucey, manager of Gougane Barra Hotel, ferried the immediate family to the oratory for the ceremony in a Land Rover in several trips, then back for a full Mass at the hotel with the rest of the guests.
While the first few groups were brought to St Finbarr’s Oratory, Elisabeth and her bridesmaids were watching all of the action from the bridal suite, upstairs at the hotel. “We couldn’t help but laugh — it was so important to embrace the changes rather than letting it ruin the day,” says Elisabeth.
“Neil and Katy Lucey helped make our day special, and we can’t sing the praises enough about John Sexton! Any other photographer would have looked at the 2ft of water and said, ‘Sorry, we won’t be able to get those shots’, but John was determined to do everything he could to get the photos we had envisioned.”
Their wedding photographer, in turn, says everyone took their cue from the couple, who had chosen Gougane Barra for their engagement, on June 15, 2024. “Strangely enough, it was probably the calmest wedding I’ve ever shot,” says John Sexton. “There was no stress, no panic or worries on the day itself. We all just got on with it. The weather and the flooding were crazy, but we came up with a plan, did what we had to do — and we were seriously up against time, because the water level in the lake was increasing at a rate of knots!”
Elisabeth and Anthony first met in September 2022 when Elisabeth moved to Cork from the US to participate in a year of volunteer work with L’Arche Cork. “I downloaded Bumble to make friends, but that turned into finding my future husband!” she says.
Both sets of parents, Lisa and Michael Villa and Eileen and Tony McSweeney, and the bride’s grandmother, LaDonna Sacovitch, toasted to their future happiness. The couple held another celebration in Boston shortly after their big day. Elisabeth’s sister Katie Villa was her maid of honour, and her sister Caroline Villa and Anthony’s sister Grace McSweeney were bridesmaids.
Anthony’s friends Diarmuid Dineen, best man, and Cathal Buckley, groomsman, along with Elisabeth’s twin brother Tony Villa, groomsman, were by his side.
The bride wore an Essence of Australia gown, and the groom and his party were dapper in suits from Tom Murphy Menswear, Cork — and their wedding photographer also cut a dash. “There was an image of me standing outside Gougane Barra church, and instead of wearing a pair of waders, I’m wearing a pair of black plastic bin liners covering my legs, so that I could get a photograph looking back at the couple standing inside the open church door,” says John.
- If you would like your wedding to be in email eve.kelliher@examiner.ie
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