Why Ireland?
A lot of guests have asked why we chose to get married in Ireland. We're getting married here because it's where both our families are from, and it felt right to start our own family here too.
Noah's side traces to great-great-great-grandmother Ellen Gorman Smith, born in 1864 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, about an hour and a half from our wedding venue. She and husband John immigrated to Pittsburgh (Noah's hometown) in 1886 with their infant son Michael.
Laura's grandmother, Anne O'Conor Newton, was named Notre Dame's "Irish Beauty" after a boyfriend submitted her photo to the university's Irish Pennant. Her family traces to great-great-grandfather John B. Carey, who left during the Famine and to Andrew Jackson O'Conor, born in 1815 in County Roscommon, who arrived in 1835 for LaSalle, Illinois (his surname became Laura's middle name "O'Conor"). Roscommon is just under two hours from Kilkea Castle.
We feel so lucky to marry in the country both our families came from <3