Coolderry's big day brings wedding delay

Coolderry captain Brendan O'Meara's fiancee Jessica Kennedy knew she was going to be nervous today. After booking their wedding for March 16 over a year ago she presumed today's nerves would be pre-wedding jitters. With Coolderry in their first ever All-Ireland senior hurling club final tomorrow, however, the dream wedding that was to be today has been postponed and the nerves are all hurling related. Twenty-eight year old Jessica happily agreed to marry Brendan when he got down on bended knee and proposed on Christmas Day 2010. Together since mid-March 2002, the two booked their wedding day at Athlone's Sheraton Hotel soon after Jessica accepted Brendan's proposal. Though the March 16 date was primarily chosen because of the bank holiday Monday attached to it, Jessica says the fact that it would also be their ten year anniversary was at the back of her mind. Even then, unlikely as it seemed, hurling finals were at the back of Brendan's mind. "It came into Brendan's head," she admits. "He said it about ten times at the time." Some months later it became apparent there might be more than just a clash of the ash in March 2012. Coolderry won the county final and the couple decided that should the team win the Leinster final the wedding date would be changed. Now everything is in place for the later wedding date, with plans for a ceremony in Jessica's parish church in Lorrha, Tipperary, followed by a reception for approximately 220 guests in Athlone. Jessica says she has "completely forgotten" that her wedding was meant to be today now. "It's all about the match," she says. Though today she's sitting at her desk in work instead of partying with family and friends, she admits the fact that rain has been forecast makes it all the easier. Coming from the same parish as Coolderry manager Ken Hogan, Jessica and her hurling mad family are only too happy to put her nuptials on the long finger while Coolderry square up to Antrim champions Loughgiel Shamrocks in Croke Park. With no ill will towards the team that inadvertantly postponed her wedding she wishes every player luck and hopes they'll be coming home champions tomorrow.