Wedding of the Week: Cork couple first met at 'Top of the Hill'

A DAY full of laughter where memories were made for a lifetime. That sums up the wedding of Diane Dowling and Timmy Hennessy.

Diane is from Douglas and Timmy is from Allen Square on the northside of the city, but the couple moved into their family home in Ballyphehane the week after their wedding, on December 21, 2023, just in time for Christmas.

They feature in our Wedding of the Week.

The couple first met in Top Of The Hill Pub in Gurranabraher. Diane recalled: “My dad and Timmy race pigeons together and there was an awards night in Mayfield GAA, but we all met in the pub before hand.”

That was back in 2013. It was in August, 2014, that Timmy plucked up the courage to ask Diane to the cinema.

“And the rest is history, as they say!”

The couple got engaged in December, 2018, in the kitchen of Timmy’s mam’s house.

“Then he asked again on 23.08.22 (our eight year anniversary), when we were on a family holiday in Nerja (Spain),” Diane recalled.

They were married in a civil/ spiritual ceremony in the Rochestown Park Hotel on December 14, 2023.

Diane got her dress in Vows in Blarney, fully embellished with pearls and beading. She wore Converse for the full day for comfort.

Timmy, who wanted to wear a deep green blazer, ordered his jacket from Next and the rest of the suit from Morleys.

Both sets of parents, Diane’s - Pietra Dowling and Denis Wall - and Timmy’s parents, Margaret and Timmy Hennessy, as well as the couple’s siblings, nieces and their twins, joined in the celebrations. Diane’s grandparents, John Dowling and wife Phil Royal, were also there to celebrate.

Recalling the ceremony, Diane said as well as tying the knot using ribbons, and jumping the broom, they also kissed under the mistletoe.

“Timmy brings home mistletoe every Christmas so we thought it was a nice way to keep traditions going during our Christmas wedding!”

The reception was held in the Rochestown Park Hotel.

The cake was from Lynn @meaningofcake.

Clann Eireann was the band. Their first dance was to ‘ In Case You Didn’t Know by Brent Young.

As to the most memorable thing about the day? Diane said: “Our twins joining us for our first dance, it felt as though our little life had come full circle.”

The couple want to give a special thank you to all wedding vendors and the team in Rochestown Park Hotel, as well as photographers Ray and Irene Terry.