Irish Wedding Blog

Fun on the Farm for the Hen

Been putting off this blog post for a week or so coz I really wanted to do it justice!!  The weekend before last, our blogging bride Liz Killeen had her Hen Party.  And boy, what a weekend it was!! THe whole thing was organised by her best friends and bridesmaids Alison and Claire and they kept the whole thing a secret from Liz, and even managed to keep alot of the hens in the dark too!

So…what did we do that made the weekend so great?!

Firstly, we all met in the Headfort Arms Hotel in Kells, Co. Meath.  Random spot eh, for a bunch of women travelling from Kerry, Cork and Dublin.  Well, they definitely didn’t disappoint.  The Headfort is a very unassuming hotel on the main street in Kells, and what it lacks in impact from the outside it more than makes up for it with the wow factor once you step through the door.  The staff couldn’t do enough for us and made us feel so special and welcome.  A far cry from when many establishments were turning down Hens and Stags.  The team in the Headfort were top class.

On the Friday night, we all checked in and had a drink in the bar before going up to Liz’s large suite-style bedroom ( the plaque on the door read “Hens Nest”!)  The girls had brought along the playstation and Liz’s favourite, Singstar Superstar.  The girl is a karaoke queen!  We got the mics out and after half an hour or so of warming up the vocal chords came a knock on the door.  Oh shite we thought to ourselves – the first complaint of the weekend!  But no, it was one of the managers Edel delivering pizza and cosmos to the room!  Sipping from our martini glasses we felt very Sex-in-the-city I have to say!

No surprise after the potent cocktails getting up on Saturday morning was not pleasant for most of us, but after a full Irish breakfast we managed to get our act together in time for the bus at 12.  Decked out in tracksuits and hoodies we landed at  Causey Farm to do their farmers wife course!  We did some Irish Dancing in a barn and learned the Seige of Ennis , we milked a cow and petted lambs.  We each baked a loaf of brown bread and then went for a ride in a tractor trailer.  We hiked in the bog (and one of us even fell in a bog hole!)  What an absolute scream of a day, one of the funnest things to do for a bunch of women to relax and get to know one another.  By the end of it all we had walked off our hangovers and had laughed so much we had pains in our sides.

Back to the hotel and we were whisked into the bar and offered a glass of wine each and they brought out platters of paninis for us to share.  We ate and drank our way through the weekend, in the Headfort you couldn’t get hungry!  Afterwards, exhausted but happy we chilled out in our rooms for awhile (they were really quaint and had great character – I think we were in the old part of the hotel, so there was a lovely feel to the rooms which were all different).

And then on to the evenings entertainment.  Well, we provided most of it ourselves dressing up in Glam Rock 80′s Madonna style and what can I say…we looked like utter lunatics! It didn’t help the fact that the hotel was hosting a hunt ball that evening so all the other residents and guests were in black tie!  Thankfully the hotel gave us a private dining room and decorated it with pink balloons, fresh flowers on the table and a special Hen Party Menu with full 3 course meal options.

After the delicious meal and some fun with photos etc we headed to Navan to The Palace late bar/nightclub to dance the night away…. with 1 male addition to the party!! ;)

All in all a fantastic weekend and incredble value at €199 per person for all accomodation, food, the activity and everything.  I would highly recommend the Headfort Arms and Causey Farm for any hen party looking for something that bit different and for everyone that looks for great service at a good value price!

You don’t have to take my word for how much fun it was….I put together this short vid to share with ye all!

Tally Ho! Wedding venue with a difference!

Leinster brides take note, Tattersalls House situated at the world renowned Tattersalls bloodstock auction house is hosting their wedding fair this Sunday, 21st February.  They are inviting all couples who want a wedding venue with a difference to come down and take a look.  The beauty of this venue is that it has a distinctly country feel read more…

A Wedding Venue with all the Trim-mings!

Dodgy pun title aside, the Knightsbrook Hotel & Golf Resort situated in the picturesque town of Trim, Co.Meath, is a designated heritage town, dominated by Ireland’s finest and largest Norman Castle, King John’s Castle and is a stunning spot for Wedding Photographs.

Check out our video walkthrough of this great 4 Star wedding venue in meath:

Like what you see?  Then check availability of the Knightsbrook Hotel – Wedding Venue Meath for your big day!

Dracula’s Wedding….

Image from gothicweddings.com

Anyone familiar with this blog know that at weddingdates.ie we are no strangers to dressing up and love an unusual event to capture our imagination!  Well, one of our wedding venues in meath, The Knightsbrook Hotel Spa and Golf Resort are hosting “DRACULA’S WEDDING” ~ A Murder Mystery in Two Nights 30th & 31st October (Halloween Weekend) read more…

Newgrange Hotel for 3* Meath Wedding

We are delighted to have the entire Cusack Hotel Group on board weddingdates.ie this month and to kick off their series of videos we have the first one from the 3* Newgrange Hotel which is in Navan town, Co. Meath.

With average prices of €32.00 per head, why not can check availability here for this Wedding Venue in Meath?

4 Star Funk?! Wedding Fair in Meath

This Sunday sees a Wedding Fair in one of our favourite funky venues in Co. Meath - Marriott Ashbourne Hotel.  The Hotel will welcome couples from 1-5pm on Sunday 27th September 2009.  Admission is free for the exhibition, which will include a host of local wedding suppliers and services, presentations and tips for that very special read more…

Up up and Away! Hot Air Balloon Ride

The CityNorth Hotel in Meath is hosting their wedding fair this Sunday 13th September from 2pm – 6pm and have a very exciting prize for a lucky couple on the day! Attend the wedding fair to be in with a chance to win a fabulous VIP Balloon flight and speaking from someone who has gone read more…

Meath’s newest Private Wedding Venue

Clonabreany House opened its doors last week and I was lucky enough to get invited to the launch party (yes, they had champagne!)  The place is steeped in history as it was the house of the Wade family in the wake of the Cromwellian Settlement.  Clonabreany House and Courtyard lie at the gateway to the Boyne Valley in Clonabreany near Crossakiel Co. Meath.  It is roughly about an hour from Dublin (depending on traffic) but is quite remote and as they say themselves – “quintessentially Irish”.


The historic Georgian property is surrounded by traditional farms and Irish countryside which would provide a great backdrop to wedding photos.  The restored courtyard has 10 self contained houses, (which can sleep up to 90 people!)

Clonabreany Courtyard

Clonabreany Courtyard

A fantastic feature of this private wedding venue is that it has a cosy little sibín bar apart from the main house, which would be a winner with any late-night wedding guests!! (We certainly put it to good use after the launch party!)  It is full of old time country character.

Clonabreany House itself is joined to a permanent semi solid marrquee fully fitted for weddings.  The marquee has a funky black & white tiled dance floor and  private dining facilities and can cater for up to 200 guests. The main houses boast four reception rooms and three bedrooms – the bridal suite is HUGE and the bathroom has a free standing bath.

Clonabreany Marquee - Meath's Newest Wedding Venue

Clonabreany Marquee - Meath

The restoration of this property truely has been a labour of love for the owner and so much work and effort has been put into the place, that is clear.  However, now that it is finished, the most important thing about this venue for any bride is the team behind the scenes.  Events at the property are being managed by GK Events under the careful eye of Gary Keating and the day-to-day operations is being handled by Lorna Murphy who has extensive experience is organising large-scale events such as festivals and corporate hospitality.  Lorna is really hands-on and is going to be making sure that the weddings run smoothly for the bride and groom.  Another point to note, is that the food and Catering at Clonabreany House will be cooked personally and overseen exclusively by Euro-toques chef Gerard Meade. He is a prominent local chef from Navan with twenty five years experience in hotels and restaurants both in Ireland and abroad.  I met him at the launch and it really comes across that his passion is for locally grown and produced food and seasonality of ingredients.  They even had stands on the night exhibiting some of the local food producers and suppliers who treated us to the most delicious cheeses, crab claws and cold meats.

Something that will be very attractive to many couples looking at this venue is that it offers the bride and groom and their wedding party complete exclusivity and privacy for their special day.

Watch their own YouTube video below to get a feel for the place:

What do you think of a private hire venue like Clonabreany for your own wedding?  Give us your thoughts in the comments!

Clonabreany House Wedding Venue Meath