Sandy and Sarah's Wedding

Ruth and I took a trip to Ireland for Sandy and Sarah's wedding. Since we had to take a day off work to travel anyway, we decided to head out a little early and see something of Dublin. We also got the chance to catch up with other friends we'd not seen for a bit, which was great!

The wedding was very much the main event though, and Ruth and I were delighted to be invited and to be able to share in the celebrations. It had a special meaning for us because our own wedding was the first time we met Sarah! It was also lovely to meet the other family and friends too - we had a fantastic time so thank you very much for the invitation!

	Ryanair got us to Dublin almost on time. I didn't notice the name of the aircraft, but based on this view I'm going to dub it "The Prince of Wales". Blip!
	We rather like bus tours for getting a feel for a new city, so we decided to jump on one in Dublin.
	After passing many cultural and historic attractions, this was the first place to lure us off the bus...
	...even Ruth looks enthusiastic, and she's not much of a beer drinker!
	The exhibition inside was really interesting. This waterfall illustrates the section on the importance of pure water in the manufacture of Guinness. Blip!
	The waterfall was also rather photogenic...
	...inspiring Ruth to get out her camera as well as posing for mine!
	In fact, this is the venue that inspired her to start her own blip!
	Water frozen in time like sheet ice with my flash - a birthday present from Ruth!
	Water turns almost to smoke without the flash - what a difference!
	Although the place is just an exhibition hall these days (beer is made elsewhere) it's very atmospheric and decorated with lots of old equipment and lighting.
	These huge vats are particularly impressive.
	Fascinating as the process of making the black stuff may be, I won't claim this sign was unwelcome.
	Samples lined up ready for...
	...Ruth to smile politely. I don't think we've converted her!
	The building dates back to the start of the 20th century, and has an iron structure which was prefabricated in Glasgow.
	So much Guinness left this building that it had it's own narrow guage railway to carry it all.
	Barrels stacked for display. I'm not convinced that the stainless steel fittings go with the wooden construction...
	The storehouse also displays lots of Guinness advertising, much of which is witty and entertaining. I particularly liked this large toucan!
	Old pipework disappears mysteriously into a modern plasterboard divider. At least they tried to make it atmospheric...
	Up in the Gravity bar, a glass room at the top of the building with a panoramic view of Dublin, a complimentary pint settles. One would hope so too given the entry price!
	I only drink Guinness a few times a year, but a good pint of it really deserves to be placed on a pedastal.
	We thoroughly enjoyed our visit, and spent more time there than we expected. All good things must come to an end though!
	The centre of Dublin is towered over by the 120m Milennium Spire, errected 3 years late in 2003, known locally as "The Spike".
	On Friday evening we collected Douglas from the airport and drove over to Sligo to meet Kirsty and Ray. Obviously we had to head into town for a pint...
	Mixed weather, but it was dry when we arrived at the church for the ceremony.
	The church is overlooked by these spectacular rocky outcrops.
	Inside it was light and airy inside, painted in bright colours.
	The order of service was (in keeping with the invitations) beautifully presented. This was to be my first experience of a Catholic wedding (or Mass for that matter), so I needed this to keep me right!
	Sandy waits at the front, looking fairly relaxed with his brother (the best man).
	The moment everyone has been waiting for - the bride makes her entrance. Sarah looked stunning, and her father glowed with pride.
	After the ceremony the newly married couple posed for photographs. There were so many cameras I decided to hang back out of the way!
	Leaving the church as man and wife. Grins all round.
	This wedding candle symbolises their new-found unity in the eyes of the church. It made a beautiful centerpiece.
	Outside it's pretty windy. The bride nearly lost her veil, and many people were fighting to retain control of their skirts/kilts! Ruth lost her battle to control her hair.
	The newly-weds emerge. Blip!
	Markree Castle, the venue for the reception.
	The sun came out for us as we arived at this beautiful place.
	I liked the elevated gardens at the top of the main tower... Much more original than Ivy!
	Some of the trees in the gounds seem like they must be almost as old as the building itself.
	The grand main staircase makes entering the premises feel like a grand occasion in its own right.
	The castle is surrounded by miles of park and farmland, giving fantastic views.
	The champagne flowed freely - as modelled here by Doug and Ruth (hair thankfully now back under control).
	The cake (delicious, by the way) had an unusual figure on top - I'm not sure if the groom is fleeing or being pushed from a precipice...
	Speeches, and the groom wins the prize for cheesiest speech thanks to his inclusion of Beatles album and song titles...
	Still, his parents think he's funny!
	The best man comes next, and nearly avoid embarassing his brother...
	...but rescues the situation at the last moment with a picture of Sandy at the Stag weekend!
	Ruth always enjoys the speeches at weddings. I think it's basically because she's nosey...
	Jackets off for an after dinner pint...
	...very welcome as it's really quite warm. Ruth of course stayed cool throughout in her summer frock.
	Later on there is dancing...
	...and the bride and groom are the center of attention again.
	The party continued into the wee small hours, but here endeth the photographic evidence. A round of applause please!
	The Clarion hotel, a converted Mental Hospital.
	Ray was feeling none-too-fresh in the morning, but put on a brave (if slightly dazed) face for lunch.
	Now fed, fresh air was the order of the day. It's strange to see someone fishing in the middle of a town though...
	...the river was very clean and full of bird life, like this happy family...
	...although the family trip was soon disturbed by a mob of hungry gulls.
	I think this guy just realised he's going too fast and slammed on the brakes. Blip!
	Swans and gulls compete for food. Personally I wouldn't be messing with someone three times my size!
	Ray has a bright idea....
	...Doug and Kirsty are quietly watching the river...
	...so why not run up quietly and scare the living daylights out of them!
	The old bridge would look at home in any rural village - it's really quite picturesque.
	We have to avoid going anywhere near Ray in case we violate local bye-laws by inhaling.
	In common with the rest of Ireland, there is plenty of building work going on in Sligo. This is the point at which we took our leave however, but I'll leave Ruth with the last word.