Groom turns heads in tractor

TRACTOR-MAD Hughie Gregan wasn’t too worried about getting to the Church on time over the weekend.

And for a change, it was the groom rather than the bride who turned heads ahead of the wedding ceremony.

The 26-year-old digger driver astounded his 120 guests and his blushing bride at their wedding on Saturday by arriving at the church in his native Wexford in a 1967 vintage tractor.

He left his home in Castletown, just outside Gorey, in plenty of time and turned a fair few heads en route, chugging along, dressed in his morning suit aboard the shining, spick-and-span motor.

“When we got engaged, I was joking with the lads that I’d drive to the church in a tractor. That was over a year ago. There were no bets on it from what I can remember but I couldn’t go back on a challenge,” Hughie said yesterday.

“I left in plenty of time and made my way along on my cousin Shane’s David Browne 1200. It was just about a mile to the church and the weather was lovely. It was lovely and sunny - it wasn’t a bit cold.”

His stunt didn’t go down as well though with his beautiful new wife, Helen Barry, 24, who did pose for photographs afterwards with the tractor but declined an offer of a spin to the wedding reception at Ashdown Park in Gorey on the vintage machine.

“She wasn’t as impressed with it as I was. We did a few photos with it but she was glad to be getting back into the car afterwards. My cousin brought the tractor home,” Hughie said.

“We’re off to Rome tomorrow. And no, the tractor won’t be coming with us.”