Wedding of the Week: Fireworks for Cork bride and groom at seaside wedding

Claire Dowling, Fermoy, Co Cork, and Mark Geary Spur Hill, Cork, who were married at Star of the Sea Church, Ballycotton, Co Cork, with reception at Garryvoe Hotel

Claire Dowling and Mark Geary. Pictures: Matt Brooker Photography

Sat, 03 Oct, 2026 - 01:00

Eve Kelliher

Fireworks sparked the festive fun at Claire Dowling and Mark Geary’s September wedding.

The couple, who live in Lehenaghmore in Cork City, held their reception at Garryvoe Hotel after they were wed in Star of the Sea Church, Ballycotton, Co Cork.

“We kept it as a surprise for our guests and got everyone outside under the pretence of ‘sparklers’,” says the bride. “It was a magical moment looking out toward the sea and watching the display. It set a fantastic let’s-get-this-party-started tone to head back in for the band.”

Claire, from Fermoy, Co Cork, and Mark, from Spur Hill, Cork, were married by Canon Jim O’Donovan, who had baptised their son Tiernan last year. The bride was accompanied up the aisle by her dad, Bill Dowling, and also celebrating with the couple were her mother, Marie Dowling, and the groom’s parents, Kaye and Maurice Geary.

Bride Claire Dowling with her dad Bill Dowling and groom Mark Geary. Pictures: Matt Brooker Photography

Claire’s sister, Diane Dowling, was her maid of honour, with her sisters-in-law Niamh and Sarah Dowling and her friends Aoife Houston and Triona Murphy as bridesmaids. Claire and Mark’s daughter Aoibhín Geary, three, and niece, Nollaig Dowling, one, were the flower girls.

Claire Dowling with her bridal party. Pictures: Matt Brooker Photography

Mark’s brothers were by his side, with Glen Geary as his best man, and Roy and Colin Geary as groomsmen and his son Tiernan Geary, one, as his little best man. The couple’s nephews, Rory Geary, five, Oliver Dowling, and Zachary Dowling, one and four, were the pageboys.

Claire Dowling and Mark Geary with their wedding party. Pictures: Matt Brooker Photography

Violin duo Pizzazz Violin performed at the ceremony and drinks reception.

“For the responsorial psalm, we needed a vocalist, so I asked my sister Diane to lead us in singing Here I Am, Lord, and she was accompanied by my uncle Niall O’Riordan on guitar,” says Claire.

“Both Mark and I are big music fans, so we knew a sing-song was on the cards for the small hours after the reception. Some serious talent was displayed, but a highlight has to be the 4am rendition of Here I Am, Lord, which had been the responsorial psalm earlier — needless to say, voices had warmed up a little more by then, and we gave it some gusto the second time around.”

The newlyweds, who both work in finance, first connected on the Hinge dating app and went on their first date in August 2021, to The Oyster Tavern in Cork. Mark proposed in January last year. “We were on holiday in California, and I was expecting our second child, Tiernan, at the time. After a visit to San Francisco Zoo, Mark suggested we take a walk on the nearby beach. While there, he bent down to what I thought was to take a selfie with our daughter Aoibhín, but actually he was proposing. He’d successfully sneaked the ring from Keanes [Jewellers] in Cork all the way over.”

On their big day, the newlyweds travelled in style in a maroon 1963 Jaguar MK2 from Cork Wedding Cars.

The bride chose her elegant Martin Thornburg-designed wedding gown at Cinderella’s Closet, Cork. “It was my final appointment, and the Delphi dress was the very last one on my list, but it was a gamechanger. I wanted something simpler to dance the night away in, and I got the perfect silk halterneck dress from Memories Bridal Boutique in Cork, which I changed into after dinner.”

Claire Dowling. Pictures: Matt Brooker Photography

Mark purchased his ivory tuxedo jacket at Morleys, Cork, which is also where the groomsmen’s suits were hired. Matt Brooker (Mattbrookerphotography.com) was behind the lens as their wedding photographer, and Evergreen By Kellie was their content creator. Lynn O’Leary of Bridal Hair by Lynn, and Jessica O’Sullivan, Portrait by Jessica, and Andrea Murphy were the hair and makeup team. Aoife of Auntie Katie’s Wedding Babysitters looked after Aoibhín and Tiernan on the evening of the wedding. “She did an outstanding job and had them ready and waiting to join us on the dancefloor for the first dance,” says Claire.

Florist4u, devised the bouquets and décor; the linen hire was by Total Event Rental; Emerald Fireworks orchestrated the fireworks display; and Trace of Cakes, Ballincollig, baked the single-tiered gluten-free wedding cake. The newlyweds honeymooned in Corfu.