Newly-weds Alan and Karl prepare to take-off for a honeymoon in paradise
Alan Hughes and husband Karl Broderick will soon have Our Little Corner of the Earth.
And no — it is not the title of their panto for next Christmas. On February 7, the Ireland AM host and his panto producer hubby are jetting to the Sri Lankan paradise Olcote in Ceylon (which literally means Our Little Corner of the Earth) for their honeymoon.
The establishment is owned by Ireland-based Sri Lankan beauty Tess de Kretser, who famously married Cathal Ryan in Sri Lanka on May 3, 1982.
“We can’t wait to visit this amazing hotel in Sri Lanka,” said Karl.
“It looks stunning. It will be our honeymoon and a chance to relax after the hectic schedule of our panto Aladdin,” he said referring to The Cheerios Panto Aladdin at the Tivoli Theatre. Alan and Karl — who wed in a secret ceremony in September, having had a civil ceremony at the Mansion House in 2011 — are being whisked off to Sri Lanka in business class with Turkish Airlines in February for their very special honeymoon in the heart of the stunning Sri Lankan countryside.
It will be a week of paradise for the happy couple.
Every day is a day in paradise for Bono, of course. The U2 singer was spotted having lunch in Patrick Guilbaud’s in The Merrion Hotel two weeks ago (excitement is mounting as the aforesaid exclusive 5-star bolthole on Upper Merrion Street is about to open another wing under the expert eye of ex Clongowes boy turned dashing general manager Peter McCann.)
But back to Bono. He seemed, as he always does, in great form at the lunch in Guilbaud’s.
And why not when you are a messianic multimillionaire whose fans look on you as God — though perhaps not as much as Bono looks on himself as God.
Still on matters ecclesiastical, I would like to send out the best wishes for a speedy recovery after his recent surgery to Father Michael Collins — Madonna’s favourite Irish priest (Michael’s late brother, world-renowned architect David introduced her to the priest and a friendship soon blossomed. Indeed Michael would be admired by many high profile people in Ireland and beyond.) Michael’s many parishioners on St Mary’s on Haddington Road are counting the days until his blessed return.