'I got married to Mickey on June 3rd 1983 at St. Malachy's Chapel'

'I got married to Mickey on June 3rd 1983 at St. Malachy's Chapel'

Ita McClelland shares memories of her wedding day and birth of her first child.

Ita McClelland

Trinity College Dublin

1983

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Ita McClelland

Marriage and Family

Life Story

Co. Armagh

1980's

The Embassy Ballroom in Castleblayney, Co. Monaghan was a very popular attraction for the young people from just north of the border like myself. That is where I met my husband Mickey in 1980 and where a lot of people I know met their future spouses.I got married to Mickey on June 3rd 1983 at St. Malachy's Chapel, Armagh. I chose St. Malachy's as it is in a small homely Chapel and where my family attended regularly. Our reception was held at Chestnut Lodge, Benburb and we had photos taken in the grounds of Benburb Priory. There were about 120 guests at the wedding including old school friends, friends from work as well as family friends and neighbours. We went to Benidorm on our honeymoon for two weeks and on our return moved into a one bedroomed flat above Jimmy McCaffrey's pub 'The Corner House' in Keady. We lived there for several months until a better Housing Executive flat became available at the bottom of the town, in Crossmore Gardens.Our first child, Maeve, was born when we were living there. That was on 8th March, 1990.

Irish Research Council for Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences (IRCHSS)

Dr Kathleen McTiernan (Trinity College Dublin)

Dr Deirdre O'Donnell (Trinity College Dublin)