Secrecy and security at the wedding of Georgina Ahern and Nicky Byrne leave locals in the French village of Gallardon disappointed.
Following their civil marriage in County Wicklow, the Taoiseach's daughter, Georgina Ahern and Westlife’s Nicky Byrne are holding their church wedding and reception in the Loire Valley in France.
The childhood sweethearts are exchanging their vows in the Church of St Peter and St Paul in the village of Gallardon, followed by a reception at the nearby Château d'Esclimont.
Some of the high profile guests arriving at the church included Nicky's Westlife bandmates Shane Filan with his fiancée Gillian Walsh and Brian McFadden with his wife Kerry Katona. Also present were Ronan Keating who will be singing at the ceremony and his wife Yvonne Connolly.
Gallardon residents are mystified and hurt that the centre of their village has been sealed off for the wedding in a deal worth €850,000. The deal with celebrity magazine Hello! for the rights to publish exclusive photographs means they are being prevented from seeing either bride or groom of this eagerly awaited Irish society marriage.
And when the bride and groom arrived at the church in blackened vehicles, they were greeted with audible disapproval from onlookers. One very disappointed girl remarked,
They're all in their cars and you can’t see anything.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 9 August 2003. The reporter is Tony Connolly.
