From castles to luxury hotels, Ireland has venues all over the country that are perfect for a magical wedding. But where did the celebrities choose for their A-list marriages? We look at Ireland’s top four celebrity wedding venues:
1. Luttrellstown Castle – Victoria and David Beckham
Unbelievably it’s been fifteen years since the then Manchester United footballer David Beckham married Posh Spice Victoria Adams back on the 4th of July 1999. The world’s media descended at the gates of Luttrellstown Castle where David enjoyed a not quite relaxed round of golf before the wedding ceremony accompanied by the world’s lenses.
The castle, which is situated only a few miles from the center of Dublin on the banks of the Liffey at Castleknock, has been visited by many other celebrities including Prince Ranier and Princess Grace of Monaco, Fred Astaire, Douglas Fairbanks, Ronald Regan, Paul Newman and REM.
2. Castle Leslie – Paul McCartney
Monaghan’s most famous castle landmark is Castle Leslie, which was the venue for the marriage of Paul McCartney to Heather Mills. The castle is nestled on 1,000 acres of countryside dotted with ancient woodlands and glittering lakes.
Unusually, the castle is still in the hands of the founding family and members are still there to welcome guests to this luxury hotel which is located in the village of Glaslough, 80 minutes from Dublin or an hour from Belfast. It is particularly popular for weddings as its lakeside view is truly spectacular especially for wedding photographs.
3. Ashford Castle – Pierce Brosnan
Ashford Castle, the 13th century castle in Cong, County Mayo has no less than two churches in its grounds and was an obvious choice for James Bond star Pierce Brosnan when he married journalist Keeley Shaye Smith, as a nod to his Irish roots. The castle grounds have open lawns, a Victorian lawned garden and woodland pathways around the lakeside setting.
The place has an extraordinary history and Ashford was founded back in 1228 by the Anglo-Norman de Burgo family following their defeat of the native O’Connors of Connaught. It is particularly popular with Americans and visitors from all over the world.
4. Doonbeg Golf and Spa Resort – Andrea Corr
Doonbeg Golf and Spa Resort in County Clare hit the headlines once again when it was purchased earlier this year by Donald Trump, who was welcomed to Shannon airport by Government representatives to huge fanfare.
Corrs singer Andrea Corr is one of the most well known Irish celebrities to get married at Doonbeg Golf and Spa, when she chose the venue for her wedding to businessman Brett Desmond. Paparazzi from all over the world turned up to see the event and U2 were even said to have performed at the August wedding. The hotel and 18-hole championship golf links, fronting over two miles at the edge of the Atlantic ocean have now been re-branded as the Trump International Golf Links and Hotel. The location has been named the number 1 resort in Europe by Conde Nast Traveler; a ‘World’s Best’ by Travel and Leisure and European Golf Resort of the Year.