Simon Sheerin and Cliona Hagan.

Strong Offaly links to showbiz wedding of the year

When country music singing sensation Cliona Hagan walked up to the aisle to marry the love of her life, Westmeath’s Simon Sheerin, on Wednesday of this week there were a number of Offaly connections to what was one of the biggest showbiz weddings of the year.

Cliona, who is one of Ireland’s best-known country music stars, was wearing a magnificent bespoke wedding dress by renowned Birr-based dress designer, Geraldine O’Meara, who worked closely with the bride on the design over the past year.

The brilliant white dress featured a bead-encrusted sweetheart corset and thin straps with a low back and Pippa Middleton-style buttons running down to a long detachable train. One of the most-talked about features of the dress was the inclusion of the initials of the bride and groom, C and S, which was delicately embroidered into the long veil worn by the bride.

Meanwhile, the groom, who is the youngest member of the multi-talented Sheerin Family Band from Tang, outside Athlone, was decked out from head to toe by Anthony Kearns, who is the proprietor of popular Tullamore menswear shop, GUY Clothing.

Known for his laidback, casual look, Simon Sheerin shied away from wearing a traditional wedding suit and opted instead for a smart, casual look by wearing dark jeans and an eye-catching and colourful embossed blazer and waistcoat.

GUY Clothing was also given the task of dressing Simon’s two older brothers, Tom and Des, who acted as bestman and groomsman respectively, along with their 80-year old father, Dan, and the bride’s Dad.

Another strong Offaly link to the high society wedding, which was attended by a number of big-name country music artists including Susan McCann, Johnny Brady, Nigel Connell and Louise Morrissey, came in the form of the church music which was provided by another well-known Midlands musical family, the Rabbettes from Clara.

Claire Rabbette, who is married to Simon Sheerin’s older brother, Tom, and is a very popular wedding singer in her own right, teamed up with her sister, Noreen and brother, Joe, to provide musical accompaniment at the nuptials which took place in St. Mary’s Parish Church in Tang on Wednesday.

Also included on the guest list a the society wedding was Ballycumber’s Simon Casey who, along with Johnny Brady and Nigel Connell, fronts the hugely-popular Eagles tribute band set up by Tom Sheerin, who is also the manager.

The band, called ‘Take It To The Limit’ was set up in 2018 and has been playing to packed houses all over the country since the lifiting of coronavirus restrictions.

The busy musicians are planning to take a well-earned rest as Simon – who is the "baby" of the Sheerin family, numbering 11 in total – and his new bride jet off to Mexico on their honeymoon, which will also include trips to Miami, Las Vegas and, of course, the home of country music, Nashville in Tennessee!