Famous chat show host Graham Norton welcomed an exclusive list of guests to a sun soaked celebration in West Cork over the weekend, to toast his recent marriage.

Having grown up in West Cork during his time at Bandon Grammar School, Mr Norton now owns a holiday home in Ahakista, and chose to celebrate recent nuptuals between there and Bantry over the weekend.

The Irish Examiner reports that more than 100 guests attended a lavish event at Bantry House on Saturday, which was understood to be a blessing ceremony for Norton and his partner, who may have already legally married at an earlier stage. It is understood that a blessing was conferred in Bantry House by a local rector.

The celebrations continued on Sunday at Norton’s West Cork home, where guests partied on in a marquee erected on the waterfront, which could be spotted on the approach to Ahakista village on the Sheep’s Head peninsula.

It’s understood that those in attendance were entertained by Scottish singer Lulu, who has hit singles under her belt spanning James Bond title tracks to Eurovision winners, drag star and DJ for the night Panti Bliss, and members of the Riverdance troupe.

The weekend's events were kept low-key and under tight security, as Bantry House was closed to the public on Saturday as guests started to arrive around lunchtime.

However, there was no hiding the marquees which began appearing at the start of last week, with some locals certain they were being put up for the celebrations of the celebrity host’s recent marriage.

Norton (59) is a well-known and well-liked figure in the West Cork area, where he regularly spends his summers in his holiday home.

The host and author has recently been recording his Virgin Radio UK show remotely as he passes the summer in West Cork, and an ITV production of his West Cork based novel ‘Holding’ was aired earlier in 2022, starring Cork’s Siobhán McSweeney.