True Love Tuesday Claire O’Neill and Barry Maguire... - Getting Married in Northern Ireland Magazine

It was a case of ‘All Aboard’ at the wedding of Claire O’Neill, an ICT Technician from Drumduff, and Lisnaskea builder and lorry driver Barry Maguire. The couple have a love of all things vintage, and this included a Double Decker London Bus, which ferried the wedding party from the chapel to the reception.

Claire, 30, and Barry, 34, met at a house party Claire and a friend hosted in Portstewart when Claire was studying in Coleraine. Barry and a group of others stayed over, and Barry was already on his way home when Claire had to ring him to tell him he had taken someone else’s shoes! “He came back to return them and we have been texting ever since!” Claire said.
When it came to proposing, Claire enlisted a bit of help. “We had been together 10 years and there was no sign of a ring!” she said. “I took the bull by the horns and got our little girl a bib with ‘Daddy will you marry Mammy’ on it. He saw it on February 29th and said very little and laughed a lot, but on Mothers’ Day on March 10th we were in Sligo and he said – ‘Go on then, get a ring!’” Claire picked her ring from a jewellers in Sligo.

Her dress came from Chantilly Lace which she visited with her mother-in-law and her daughter Clodagh. “I saw the dress and when I went home I couldn’t stop thinking about it – I knew then that it was the one. I loved the whole experience. I’ve a sister who tried on 37 dresses and I couldn’t believe I found mine in the third shop!” she said.
The bridesmaids’ dresses were ordered online and Claire’s mammy did all the alterations – she even made her own outfit! Matron of Honour was Donna, who is not only Claire’s best friend but is also married to her brother Cathal, and bridesmaids were Barry’s sister Roisin and Claire’s good friend Emma.

Best man Rory Flanagan has been a best friend of Barry’s for years, and the groomsmen were Barry’s brothers Niall and Ciaran. They wore outfits from SD Kells in Enniskillen.Claire said she loved every second of planning her big day, especially adding lots of special little touches – she made the pew ends herself, designed the couple’s wedding candle and booklets, and designed the invitations and the table plan.
Things got a little stressful coming into the last week. “We have two little ones, Clodagh and Paidi, and it was stressful just getting everyone sorted, although I have to say we are so lucky to have our parents who couldn’t do enough, they were fantastic,” Claire said. “Barry pulled it out of the bag in the last few days and sorted out a lot of stuff for the hotel.”

The couple married on October 6th 2018 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Beragh, and hosted 256 guests at a reception at Corick House Hotel. Their vintage theme ran (or maybe we should say motored) through the day, which featured Barry’s Massey Ferguson Gold belly tractor, Claire’s father’s restored Mini in which he drove her to the chapel, and the red London Double Decker Bus which took the party from the chapel to the reception.

Claire’s Auntie Rosy crocheted the flowers which were carried by the bride, bridesmaids and flower girl, and also made button holes for all the men. Her Auntie Lucy did the flower arrangements for the chapel, and these included a pair of Clodagh and Paidi’s wellies which she filled with flowers. Claire’s brother took the bridesmaids to the chapel in his 1986 Toyota Corolla Twincam, and as well as the Mini and the Double Decker Bus, the vintage Gold belly with trailer was at the reception when the couple arrived. ”We chose this theme because it involved all the family and they all got to do their bit,” Claire said. Even little Clodagh had a big role to play, as she pushed her nine-month-old brother up the aisle in a Cozy Coupe decorated in ribbons. Clodagh got half way there and decided to lie down so Claire’s mum took over!The bride picked all the music. “Maria Cameron did a fantastic job singing it,” Claire said. “She even learned a new one which included the words ‘1 life, 2 children, 3 time, 4 dreaming, 5 senses, 6 words, I found my treasure in you!’” Claire and Barry’s first dance to was to Randy Travis – ‘I’m gonna love you forever.’

Reflecting on the day, Claire said: “Father Kevin Duffy was fantastic. He was so down to earth and made us so relaxed on our big day – I wanted to thank him especially for all the help he give us! “I enjoyed every single second of it, the day went so quickly from half five in the morning to half five the next morning when we rolled into bed! I wouldn’t have changed a thing, even the weather was a perfect summer’s day.”
The highlight of the day for both Claire and Barry was spending time with family and friends. “It just wasn’t long enough, but we found the love and friendship of people overwhelming, I’m still talking and thinking about it!” said Claire. “Anyone who is planning a wedding should enjoy every second of it because it is over in a flash!”
The couple went to London for honeymoon to remember which included a visit to the Harry Potter Universal Studios.

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