Bride-to-be’s Skibb dream comes true

A YOUNG bride-to-be has won her dream wedding in her native Rebel county.

Elaine Hylton, 29, who is originally from Cork, was due to tie the knot with her sweetheart, Kerryman Robert Moore, 30, in Killarney on her 30th birthday next May.

But now she will go from birthday girl to blushing bride in just a few hours after they won a fantastic €10,000 wedding reception in a competition run by the historic West Cork Hotel in Skibbereen, which is celebrating a centenary of hosting wedding receptions.

More than 3,500 people voted on the hotel’s Facebook competition site and Elaine and Robert, who sang a song telling people why they deserved the prize, received more than 30% of the vote. Four other couples each received a prize to the value of €2,500 each.

“We really can’t believe it,” a delighted Elaine said.

“It’s always been my dream to get married in my home county and now thanks to the West Cork Hotel we are able to do that.

“I love Kerry but my heart is in Cork and my roots are here in Skibbereen as this is where my grandfather grew up so it’s an absolute dream come true.”

Robert, who is a plasterer by trade, went back to college this year to study computers follow-ing the collapse of the construction industry.

“This means so much to us and allows us to go through with our plans for a big family wedding rather than having to cut corners which we may otherwise have had to,” he said.

The wedding day will also be the first time Robert meets his future father-in-law who lives in the US.

Elaine and Robert, who live in Ballyheigue, plan to honeymoon in West Cork and Kerry.

The West Cork Hotel ran the competition to celebrate the completion of a massive €1 million investment programme.