RORY’S WEDDED BLITZ!
»Star spends €350k on a FOUR-DAY bash Lavish food and drink at after-party »Stevie Wonder wows star guests
RORY Mcilroy put on free gourmet food and drink for FOUR days at his lavish wedding to stunning fiancee Erica Stoll in Ashford Castle.
Hundreds of A-list guests from the worlds of sport, music, film and business partied until the small hours this morning to celebrate the nuptials.
The multi-millionaire golfer had splashed out €250,000 hiring the five-star resort in Cong, Co Mayo, and another €100,000 on a giant marquee.
Motown legend Stevie Wonder delighted guests with classic hits including Isn’t She Lovely.
The newlyweds will head off by private jet tomorrow for a 10-day honeymoon.
RORY Mcilroy tied the knot in spectacular fashion to fiancee Erica Stoll yesterday as the pair partied the night away with family and friends.
A dazzling midnight fireworks display topped off an incredible day for the loved-up couple who were serenaded by Stevie Wonder.
Rory and American Erica opted for an evening ceremony after up to 20 helicopters and a steady stream of SUVS and limousines ferried guests to the 800-year-old venue in Cong, Co Mayo. Celebrities enjoyed a third day of free food and drink with award-winning executive chef Philippe Farineau showcasing the best in Irish cuisine.
The star golfer Rory, 27, made sure the hundreds of guests were wined, dined and pampered in the luxurious resort voted the world’s best hotel in 2015.
Hiring the castle set Rory back €250,000 and the four-time major winner spent a further €100,000 importing a special marquee tent from Europe as the room inside the five-star venue was too small. The great and the good of the sporting, music, film and business worlds arrived for the wedding of the year with dozens of teenage girls waiting outside the castle eager to catch a glimpse of One Direction star Niall Horan. Gambling tycoon JP Mcmanus’ private Agusta 139 helicopter was spotted by the Irish Daily Mirror landing at the back of the 350-acre resort at the weekend.
It’s believed Rory and Erica may honeymoon at the luxurious the Sandy Lane Hotel in Barbados which is co-owned by JP. The pair are set to unwind after their bumper bash with a 10-day romantic break which the Holywood, Co Down, man has said will be “to the middle of nowhere”. It is thought Barbados will be just one of a number of destinations in the Caribbean they will visit to soak up the sunshine on a luxury no-expense spared honeymoon. After the intimate getaway Rory will then have a full week to prepare for his next tourna-
Stevie performed Isn’t She Lovely and Signed, Sealed, Delivered for the guests
SHOWBIZ SOURCE YESTERDAY
ment, The Players Championship, at Sawgrass in Florida, which runs from May 11 to 14. Guests took time during the morning to go clay pigeon shooting, while relatives of the couple were treated to a private boat trip to nearby Inchaghoill Island, which boasts stunning views of Lough Corrib.
Singer Horan, golfers Padraig Harrington and Sergio Garcia and Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs were among the large number of guests who arrived on Friday, with the former Wales international taking an afternoon stroll through Cong village. Other golfers included Martin Kaymer who arrived at the plush hotel yesterday, while Offaly man Shane Lowry was one of the last celebrity guests to arrive by car shortly after 2pm.
Former Ryder Cup captain Paul Mcginley was in jovial mood as he spoke to locals outside Pat Cohan’s bar made famous in The Quiet Man movie.
Security was tight with three separate cordons and a drone defence in place to keep prying eyes away.
A showbiz source said Stevie Wonder entertained the guests with a rousing 90-minute performance on Friday and sung more classic hits last night.
They added: “Stevie performed Isn’t She Lovely and Signed, Sealed, Delivered for Rory and Erica and their guests, they will have had a fantastic night.”
At around 4pm a hen-party pulled up at the castle entrance in a bus and brideto-be Aoife Power had her photograph taken with 20 friends.
Moments later one local man joked it was “the closest anyone would get to seeing a bride”. Local people said they were delighted by the exposure and publicity for South Mayo.
Caroline Lydon, in her 40s and from nearby Ballinrobe, said: “Everybody’s dying for a glimpse of the wedding and to spot a famous face.
“It would be lovely to see them around the village and to make the most of all the area and not just the castle.
“There are lovely little spots around the village as well.
“Some of them might take a stroll, it’s very romantic around Cong.
“He could have got married anywhere in the world and it’s lovely to see someone like that coming to a small village.
“I know it’s the top hotel in the world but it’s fantastic to have it so local. On a regular day when there’s no famous faces around it’s lovely to come out to on a Sunday.”
Caroline said her daughter Laura, 14, was far more interested in Niall Horan than Rory Mcilroy.
She added: “It was easier to call her this morning, put it that way.”
Everybody is dying for a glimpse of the wedding and to spot a famous face as well
CAROLINE LYDON AT ASHFORD CASTLE IN CO MAYO YESTERDAY