BRIDE’S WEDDING DAY FLIGHT
Community rallies to allow newlywed visit her sick mother in Dublin hospital
A bride was able to see her sick mother on her wedding day thanks to the intervention of a local businessman and priest.
Lynne Cahill from Rectory Heights and her new husband Shaun Nolan from Monageer contemplated postponing their wedding on hearing that Lynne’s mother Catherine was too ill to attend the ceremony and reception.
However when local priest Fr Paddy Banville told Padraic Donohoe of Alcast Motors about Lynne and Shaun’s plight Padraic said he would sponsor a helicopter to bring the bridal party to St Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin immediately after the wedding ceremony so that the family spend time together on such a special day.
The flying visit was kept a secret from Catherine who got the surprise of her life when the couple, her granddaughter Ava and her husband Larry along with Fr Banville walked into the ward on Saturday afternoon.
‘It was hugely emotional’, said Fr Banville.
AN ENNISCORTHY bride and her new husband were flown by helicopter to Dublin to visit her sick mother moments after they wed on Saturday.
Lynne Cahill from Rectory Heights, Enniscorthy and Shaun Nolan from Monageer were married by Fr Paddy Banville in St Senan’s Church on Saturday afternoon. However the couple had considered postponing their wedding as Lynne’s mother Catherine who is currently in St Vincent’s Hospital was deemed too ill to attend the nuptials.
Moved by their plight Fr Banville made discreet enquiries about the possibility about getting the couple to Dublin via helicopter after the wedding ceremony. ‘When it was clear that Lynne’s mam Catherine wasn’t going to be able to attend the ceremony I started to think about a helicopter and getting them to Dublin to visit Catherine.
‘I made two enquiries locally and one of those was to Padraic Donohoe of Alcast Motors and he sponsored the helicopter through Alcast. When I had contacted the two people they were very positive and said that one way or another they would arrange it even if they had to get a number of people to sponsor it but in the end Padraic said he would sponsor it himself.
‘Really when I was making enquiries I was thinking about people putting me in touch with the likes of JP McManus or someone that has their own helicopter. I didn’t expect it to be organised locally.
‘The logistics took about two weeks to organise and were carried out by Michael Bennett and Jimmy Gahan. At one stage we nearly had the use of two helicopters!’
During the wedding ceremony Fr Banville asked the guests that the meet and greet that is traditionally done outside the church be carried out in the hotel but didn’t allude to the reason why.
Immediately after the wedding ceremony the newlyweds, daughter Ava, Lynne’s dad Larry, Fr Banville and a number of wedding guests who were in on the secret hopped into waiting cars and headed to Alcast Motors where the helicopter was waiting. The surprise trip to Dublin was also a shock for Ava who wasn’t aware of the surprise trip to Dublin to visit her gran.
After a quick photo Lynne, Shaun, Ava, Larry and Fr Banville then got on board the chopper before taking off for Dublin.
The journey to Leopardstown where the helicopter landed took just 35 minutes and Ferns man Ger Bennett was waiting there to bring the bridal party the last leg of the journey to St Vincent’s Hospital by car.
‘We flew through the traffic really’ said Fr Banville ‘and we reached the hospital very quickly. Catherine had no idea that we were coming so it was a total surprise for her. When we arrived there was obviously great excitement from everyone because you wouldn’t often see a bride at a hospital.
‘When Catherine saw Lynne it was very emotional. It was a very emotional occasion. Catherine got such as shock. There were tears, laughter and everything in between. It was hugely emotional for everyone.
‘Lynne and Shaun getting to visit her meant that she was really a part of her daughter’s wedding day even though she couldn’t physically be there. It was also special for Larry who would have been missing Catherine on such a special day.’
The trip back to Enniscorthy took just 23 minutes as the wind from the North was behind them helping them along.
‘We got back to the Riverside Hotel in plenty of time. The meal was at 6.30pm and we were back a good while before that so that Lynne and Shaun got to meet their guests at the hotel before the meal.’