Fall Wedding in Ireland
Nov 21st, 2008 | 05:50 AM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 7
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Fall Wedding in Ireland
Hello all -
I'm hoping not to sound too ignorant in posting very broad stroke questions here.
My fiance and I are in the very initial steps of planning a wedding in Ireland next fall (late September or October), hopefully just after the high travel season ends. We are both Americans and will probably be traveling with around 40 of our close friends and family. We are hoping to make this a fun 5-day travel adventure that also happens to include a low key Catholic wedding in a somewhat quaint Irish town. Our “fantasy” wedding would go something like this:
-Catholic wedding in a small church (already in touch with our local priest here)
-Reception in a nice restaurant (first choice) or perhaps catered in a room where we are staying (second choice)
-A night of revelry with music, dancing, and a few (or many) pints – perhaps at a local pub
We’re not really sure if we’re being too simplistic with that scenario. Neither of us have spent much time in Ireland – I’ve been to Dublin and Kilkenny; he’s never stepped foot in the country. My roots are in Donegal, but we’re thinking we should stick to a region closer to Dublin or Shannon (to keep travel time and expenses down, where possible).
So, I suppose I’m looking to see if anyone has suggestions about cities, towns, regions that we should consider right off? Like I mentioned, we are in the very beginning stages of planning, but we would love to go somewhere that has a good mix of being in a “quintessential” Irish town (with 40 friends) and being able to take a day-trip or two to take in some of Ireland’s wonder. I’m intrigued by what I’ve read of the Dingle Peninsula or Cliffs of Moher… but we would also be satisfied by a trip to one of the many castles.
(Oh, and we also need to fit in a golf outing… I get the impression that courses are pretty easy to find, but my Dad would disown me if I happened to pick out a place that is nowhere near a golf course!)
Any help is greatly appreciated.
I'm hoping not to sound too ignorant in posting very broad stroke questions here.
My fiance and I are in the very initial steps of planning a wedding in Ireland next fall (late September or October), hopefully just after the high travel season ends. We are both Americans and will probably be traveling with around 40 of our close friends and family. We are hoping to make this a fun 5-day travel adventure that also happens to include a low key Catholic wedding in a somewhat quaint Irish town. Our “fantasy” wedding would go something like this:
-Catholic wedding in a small church (already in touch with our local priest here)
-Reception in a nice restaurant (first choice) or perhaps catered in a room where we are staying (second choice)
-A night of revelry with music, dancing, and a few (or many) pints – perhaps at a local pub
We’re not really sure if we’re being too simplistic with that scenario. Neither of us have spent much time in Ireland – I’ve been to Dublin and Kilkenny; he’s never stepped foot in the country. My roots are in Donegal, but we’re thinking we should stick to a region closer to Dublin or Shannon (to keep travel time and expenses down, where possible).
So, I suppose I’m looking to see if anyone has suggestions about cities, towns, regions that we should consider right off? Like I mentioned, we are in the very beginning stages of planning, but we would love to go somewhere that has a good mix of being in a “quintessential” Irish town (with 40 friends) and being able to take a day-trip or two to take in some of Ireland’s wonder. I’m intrigued by what I’ve read of the Dingle Peninsula or Cliffs of Moher… but we would also be satisfied by a trip to one of the many castles.
(Oh, and we also need to fit in a golf outing… I get the impression that courses are pretty easy to find, but my Dad would disown me if I happened to pick out a place that is nowhere near a golf course!)
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Nov 21st, 2008 | 05:57 AM
#2
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 519
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I'm assuming your budget is fairly liberal. With that many people, my first impulse would be to hire a planner or a travel agent.
That said - we stayed at Adare Manor (on a golf course)two years ago. It would satisfy all the requirements you list and I'm sure they would have someone there to help you coordinate. It's close to Shannon airport and absolutely gorgeous.
Good luck!
That said - we stayed at Adare Manor (on a golf course)two years ago. It would satisfy all the requirements you list and I'm sure they would have someone there to help you coordinate. It's close to Shannon airport and absolutely gorgeous.
Good luck!
Nov 21st, 2008 | 07:11 AM
#3
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 4,433
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celticdreams wrote: "I'm assuming your budget is fairly liberal... Adare Manor"
Adare Manor would challenge even a fairly liberal budget! Adare is "quaint" in a proto-Disney sense; it's not authentically Irish, but was created in the style of a Cotswold village.
I know that Dingle has had a lot of non-locals come to marry there (many from elsewhere in Ireland). But I heard that the Parish Priest has said that he will not permit any more. Many people in the town oppose him on this, at it is a money-spinner for a lot of businesses. I don't know the current state of play.
A fairy-tale location: http://www.cork-guide.ie/gouganebarra/gouganebarra.html
A thread here that might give rise to some thoughts: http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35136529
Adare Manor would challenge even a fairly liberal budget! Adare is "quaint" in a proto-Disney sense; it's not authentically Irish, but was created in the style of a Cotswold village.
I know that Dingle has had a lot of non-locals come to marry there (many from elsewhere in Ireland). But I heard that the Parish Priest has said that he will not permit any more. Many people in the town oppose him on this, at it is a money-spinner for a lot of businesses. I don't know the current state of play.
A fairy-tale location: http://www.cork-guide.ie/gouganebarra/gouganebarra.html
A thread here that might give rise to some thoughts: http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35136529
Nov 21st, 2008 | 12:20 PM
#5
Original Poster
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 7
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Thanks to you both for the quick responses and for the link to the related topic. It seems like the other thread had more parameters than I have, which could be a good thing or a bad thing. Because my fiance and I are open to all options, we may find too many options on our hands. We're (literally) all over the map right now! I guess that's to be expected, only 2.5 weeks into our engagement and 1 week into a decision to get married in Ireland.
For what it's worth, what we're looking for is more of a small town than a resort. If we were looking at resorts, the Castle Leslie towards the north catches my eye. But looking at the map (with an admittedly uneducated eye), it appears to be isolated. We'd like to be in or near a town where we can visit the restaurants and pubs to get a local feel, and as I mentioned in my first post - be close to one or two day-trip destinations.
Budget-wise - I wouldn't say we have a liberal budget, but we're also not naive about the fact that we will be shelling out more than a few euros. We'd like to keep the cost of the festivities reasonable, where possible. We've spoken to a travel agent here in the states; once we nail down a region, she's going to take it from there to find us what we're looking for in travel arrangements and lodging (maybe a series of B&Bs or cottages, but if that's unlikely, than a small to medium sized hotel/inn).
Gougane Barra looks pretty amazing, and would thrill us for the actual ceremony (and possibly reception), but would remove the possibility of getting a town feel.
In a couple of other threads, Ennis and Clifden have been spoken of highly. Are these towns where 40 of us could find lodging, and perhaps a nice restaurant to have a formal-ish dinner before finding a musical destination to round out the evening?
Thanks again.
For what it's worth, what we're looking for is more of a small town than a resort. If we were looking at resorts, the Castle Leslie towards the north catches my eye. But looking at the map (with an admittedly uneducated eye), it appears to be isolated. We'd like to be in or near a town where we can visit the restaurants and pubs to get a local feel, and as I mentioned in my first post - be close to one or two day-trip destinations.
Budget-wise - I wouldn't say we have a liberal budget, but we're also not naive about the fact that we will be shelling out more than a few euros. We'd like to keep the cost of the festivities reasonable, where possible. We've spoken to a travel agent here in the states; once we nail down a region, she's going to take it from there to find us what we're looking for in travel arrangements and lodging (maybe a series of B&Bs or cottages, but if that's unlikely, than a small to medium sized hotel/inn).
Gougane Barra looks pretty amazing, and would thrill us for the actual ceremony (and possibly reception), but would remove the possibility of getting a town feel.
In a couple of other threads, Ennis and Clifden have been spoken of highly. Are these towns where 40 of us could find lodging, and perhaps a nice restaurant to have a formal-ish dinner before finding a musical destination to round out the evening?
Thanks again.
Nov 21st, 2008 | 01:24 PM
#6
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 4,433
Likes: 0
Don't tie yourself down to staying in the place where the ceremony happens. For example, you could arrange a wedding in Gougane Barra but base yourselves in any one of a number of towns or villages in the area; all you need is to hire a bus to bring people from your base to the church and back again afterwards. For example, you could make a base here: http://www.castlehotel.ie/
Ennis is not bad, and certainly easy to get to from Shannon. I don't know if you could find a memorably lovely church. Several hotels there, and many B&Bs.
Clifden is a bit of a long haul from Shannon. Although I love Connemara, and go there every year, I could not get excited by the prospect of staying in Clifden. There is, however, plenty of accommodation in hotels or B&Bs.
Glaslough, the village where Castle Leslie is located, is very small. The nearest town is Monaghan. There is plenty of accommodation there but, to be frank, it is not a particularly interesting town.
Ennis is not bad, and certainly easy to get to from Shannon. I don't know if you could find a memorably lovely church. Several hotels there, and many B&Bs.
Clifden is a bit of a long haul from Shannon. Although I love Connemara, and go there every year, I could not get excited by the prospect of staying in Clifden. There is, however, plenty of accommodation in hotels or B&Bs.
Glaslough, the village where Castle Leslie is located, is very small. The nearest town is Monaghan. There is plenty of accommodation there but, to be frank, it is not a particularly interesting town.
Nov 21st, 2008 | 08:23 PM
#7
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,509
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Before proceeding you may want to know the rules of marriage in Ireland: http://www.groireland.ie/getting_married.htm
Hope your fantasy comes true.
Hope your fantasy comes true.
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Nov 22nd, 2008 | 12:10 AM
#8
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 7,689
Likes: 0
Congratulations on your engagement. Here are just some random thoughts from someone who knows the Dublin area a little bit, and is quite anal retentive in planning (which may be more helpful to you in any event):
1. I am not sure that you will find that late Sept or October are actually the <i>end</i> of the high season. In most places, that is prime travel season for people without children (esp retirees), so you may find prices to still be high, or places to be booked. Just bear that in mind. The latter half of October is probably the best of the two months you have mentioned in terms of lower season; and you may be better off in November, see weatherbase.com for temps.
2. I can’t imagine planning a wedding in which I have not at the very least (i) seen the church where the ceremony will occur, (ii) seen the hall where the reception will be held, and (3) tasted the food at the hall. What if the quaint church in the photo is actually next to a noisy motorway? What if the carpet in the reception hall is bright orange shag? If these things don’t bother you and you can enjoy the day in any event, then more power to you; and I would say you are in for a long and stress-free life; but most brides I know want to have this type of information when planning a wedding. If you can do it, I would strongly suggest you make a reconnaissance trip to Ireland now to sort out details like that. Especially food for the reception, which I would think you would want to get right. (While you may be lost in the bliss of marriage, terrible food at a reception is something every guest will remember, and not in a good way.) I would also want to meet with a florist to give pretty specific details and get an idea of prices (i.e., what is available in Ireland in your wedding month and at what price), as well as possibly talking to bakers about the wedding cake (which reception halls generally don’t do themselves). You can of course give all this to a wedding planner; but would you trust one of the most important days of your life to a wedding planner you have never met? Another very good reason to make a trip to Ireland now: to meet and interview wedding planners. (There may be wedding planners in the US who specialize in Irish weddings, that may be a solution as long as your really trust that the wedding planner has good connections in Ireland.)
3. Consider using vrbo.com (http://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/europe/ireland), http://www.slowtrav.com/ or other sites to rent several houses, a farm house or small inn for your guests on your own rather than using a travel agent, who will only charge you for the same service. Also use http://www.slh.com/, http://www.lhw.com/ and http://www.slh.com/ for ideas for non-chain hotels and inns. Also try http://www.slh.com/ for reccos from posters who have stayed at hotels, you can sort by location, price and rating. Another reason for a recci trip now is to survey accommodations (I could never put my friends in a place I have not personally seen, but others may feel differently.) If you are paying for accommodation for all you guests, than you can pick what you want; if you expect your gests to pay themselves, then you may want to offer a range of options and let them decide.
4. The logistics of organizing activities, accommodation, meals and transport for 40 people for a 5 days (on top of organizing a wedding!!) is a bit mind-boggling to me, and I have a feeling you may not get all 40 to commit to a week. You instinct of wanting to be close Dublin is a good one, IMO this may be better for friends and family, who may not actually be able to come over for much more than the 2-3 days for the ceremony, and/or may not want to travel very far from a major international airport. There is a quite nice Ritz-Carlton hotel in Powerscourt which could cater the whole thing and provide accommodation and golf. Not sure if this is in your budget, but that would certainly make planning a lot easier. The are small villages near by as well for the pub night. I am sure there are other inns in the area which could also provide a similar service, you might try Karenbrown.com for a start, I always like the inns she picks.
1. I am not sure that you will find that late Sept or October are actually the <i>end</i> of the high season. In most places, that is prime travel season for people without children (esp retirees), so you may find prices to still be high, or places to be booked. Just bear that in mind. The latter half of October is probably the best of the two months you have mentioned in terms of lower season; and you may be better off in November, see weatherbase.com for temps.
2. I can’t imagine planning a wedding in which I have not at the very least (i) seen the church where the ceremony will occur, (ii) seen the hall where the reception will be held, and (3) tasted the food at the hall. What if the quaint church in the photo is actually next to a noisy motorway? What if the carpet in the reception hall is bright orange shag? If these things don’t bother you and you can enjoy the day in any event, then more power to you; and I would say you are in for a long and stress-free life; but most brides I know want to have this type of information when planning a wedding. If you can do it, I would strongly suggest you make a reconnaissance trip to Ireland now to sort out details like that. Especially food for the reception, which I would think you would want to get right. (While you may be lost in the bliss of marriage, terrible food at a reception is something every guest will remember, and not in a good way.) I would also want to meet with a florist to give pretty specific details and get an idea of prices (i.e., what is available in Ireland in your wedding month and at what price), as well as possibly talking to bakers about the wedding cake (which reception halls generally don’t do themselves). You can of course give all this to a wedding planner; but would you trust one of the most important days of your life to a wedding planner you have never met? Another very good reason to make a trip to Ireland now: to meet and interview wedding planners. (There may be wedding planners in the US who specialize in Irish weddings, that may be a solution as long as your really trust that the wedding planner has good connections in Ireland.)
3. Consider using vrbo.com (http://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/europe/ireland), http://www.slowtrav.com/ or other sites to rent several houses, a farm house or small inn for your guests on your own rather than using a travel agent, who will only charge you for the same service. Also use http://www.slh.com/, http://www.lhw.com/ and http://www.slh.com/ for ideas for non-chain hotels and inns. Also try http://www.slh.com/ for reccos from posters who have stayed at hotels, you can sort by location, price and rating. Another reason for a recci trip now is to survey accommodations (I could never put my friends in a place I have not personally seen, but others may feel differently.) If you are paying for accommodation for all you guests, than you can pick what you want; if you expect your gests to pay themselves, then you may want to offer a range of options and let them decide.
4. The logistics of organizing activities, accommodation, meals and transport for 40 people for a 5 days (on top of organizing a wedding!!) is a bit mind-boggling to me, and I have a feeling you may not get all 40 to commit to a week. You instinct of wanting to be close Dublin is a good one, IMO this may be better for friends and family, who may not actually be able to come over for much more than the 2-3 days for the ceremony, and/or may not want to travel very far from a major international airport. There is a quite nice Ritz-Carlton hotel in Powerscourt which could cater the whole thing and provide accommodation and golf. Not sure if this is in your budget, but that would certainly make planning a lot easier. The are small villages near by as well for the pub night. I am sure there are other inns in the area which could also provide a similar service, you might try Karenbrown.com for a start, I always like the inns she picks.
Nov 22nd, 2008 | 12:12 AM
#9
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 7,689
Likes: 0
Sorry the site for reading reviews of hotels froms posters is Tripadvisor, see http://www.tripadvisor.com/
Nov 24th, 2008 | 04:50 PM
#10
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,477
Likes: 0
There was a wedding party staying at Loch Lein Country House outside of Killarney, in Fossa. We were there last year, the first week of September.
The weather was beautiful and Loch Lein (60 euro pp)was wonderful. It has huge luxurious rooms and bathrooms and is across the street from a lake. They have a beautiful staircase for a bride to descend.
Their dining room is beautiful. The morning buffet table is set with all Nicholas Mosse pottery and includes a great hot Irish breakfast. Dinner is offered several nights and I believe private parties can be held there.
You could e mail Paul and Annette, who run the inn, to check on their wedding policies or to see if they use a wedding coordinator. www.lochlein.com
Lots of golf courses near Killarney.
There was a special rate offered last year on the www.irelandyes.com
The weather was beautiful and Loch Lein (60 euro pp)was wonderful. It has huge luxurious rooms and bathrooms and is across the street from a lake. They have a beautiful staircase for a bride to descend.
Their dining room is beautiful. The morning buffet table is set with all Nicholas Mosse pottery and includes a great hot Irish breakfast. Dinner is offered several nights and I believe private parties can be held there.
You could e mail Paul and Annette, who run the inn, to check on their wedding policies or to see if they use a wedding coordinator. www.lochlein.com
Lots of golf courses near Killarney.
There was a special rate offered last year on the www.irelandyes.com
Dec 2nd, 2008 | 05:29 AM
#11
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
I have been to Ireland five times in the last 4 years. My place of choice for your wedding is COOLCLOGHER HOUSE in Kilarney. Mary and Maurice are fine people and easy to work with. They helped my husband plan my 60th birthday. While there a movie had just been filmed there. The manor house will sleep 14 or more people with ease. They have had several weddings there and many families have celebrated special times at Coolclogher house.
My husband and traveled to Ireland in the winter to check out places to rent....after all a picture doesn't always tell the story. We went to 5 towns and checked many houses...finally on the last day we arrived at Mary's and I fell in love with the house and Mary and Maurice.
Please give this house your attention...you will not be sorry.
I wish I had this info before I traveled over there to look.
My husband and traveled to Ireland in the winter to check out places to rent....after all a picture doesn't always tell the story. We went to 5 towns and checked many houses...finally on the last day we arrived at Mary's and I fell in love with the house and Mary and Maurice.
Please give this house your attention...you will not be sorry.
I wish I had this info before I traveled over there to look.
Dec 18th, 2008 | 02:27 PM
#12
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
Hi cebtobe,
Congrats on your wedding. Here is my recommendation: Lisloughrey Lodge in Cong, Co. Mayo. My husband and I stayed there last year for our anniversary and absolutely loved it. They have great rates (especially for 2-night stays) so you may be able to negotiate a good rate for your guests and for the wedding - as I believe their function room is intimate enough. The views are beautiful, the rooms are fab (the suites are gorgeous)....and even better, this small, boutique style hotel in a Georgian style house is on the Ashford Castle estate - you can walk to Ashford Castle - have dinner and drinks there one night, it has the golf course your father wants - but you don't have to pay the room rates that go with the castle. We will definitely be returning. Also - the town is close by for alternative restaurants and bars to go to. You could have the wedding at Lisloughrey, drinks on a cruise on the Corrib before dinner, go to Ashford for one of the nights you are there, etc. It would make for a fun few days and something you and your guests wouldn't forget....but that's just my opinion. Not sure if this is a problem though - travel time from Shannon to Cong is about 2 hours. Website is: http://www.lisloughreylodge.ie/
Other suggestions:
Ballynahinch Castle in Connemara. Very nice, but remote.
Dromoland Castle - excellent venue - we were at a wedding there recently and it was out of this world - but the prices are extravagant also...similar to Adare Manor.
Price-wise, for location and a 'fantasy' wedding I think it'll be hard to be Lisloughrey. You'll need to check reviews on it as I'm not sure what their weddings are like...but we found not a fault with the hotel or restaurant when we visited.
Hope this was of some help to you. Good luck with all your plans!
Congrats on your wedding. Here is my recommendation: Lisloughrey Lodge in Cong, Co. Mayo. My husband and I stayed there last year for our anniversary and absolutely loved it. They have great rates (especially for 2-night stays) so you may be able to negotiate a good rate for your guests and for the wedding - as I believe their function room is intimate enough. The views are beautiful, the rooms are fab (the suites are gorgeous)....and even better, this small, boutique style hotel in a Georgian style house is on the Ashford Castle estate - you can walk to Ashford Castle - have dinner and drinks there one night, it has the golf course your father wants - but you don't have to pay the room rates that go with the castle. We will definitely be returning. Also - the town is close by for alternative restaurants and bars to go to. You could have the wedding at Lisloughrey, drinks on a cruise on the Corrib before dinner, go to Ashford for one of the nights you are there, etc. It would make for a fun few days and something you and your guests wouldn't forget....but that's just my opinion. Not sure if this is a problem though - travel time from Shannon to Cong is about 2 hours. Website is: http://www.lisloughreylodge.ie/
Other suggestions:
Ballynahinch Castle in Connemara. Very nice, but remote.
Dromoland Castle - excellent venue - we were at a wedding there recently and it was out of this world - but the prices are extravagant also...similar to Adare Manor.
Price-wise, for location and a 'fantasy' wedding I think it'll be hard to be Lisloughrey. You'll need to check reviews on it as I'm not sure what their weddings are like...but we found not a fault with the hotel or restaurant when we visited.
Hope this was of some help to you. Good luck with all your plans!
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