Someone rather jaundicedly posted a comment on Facebook asking: ‘Is this news?’ Hell, yeah! The arrival of Pippa Middleton in Glengarriff for a friend’s wedding caused a flurry of excitement and confirmed what we already known – West Cork is cool.
BY JACKIE KEOGH
SOMEONE rather jaundicedly posted a comment on Facebook asking: ‘Is this news?’
Hell, yeah! The arrival of Pippa Middleton in Glengarriff for a friend’s wedding caused a flurry of excitement and confirmed what we already known – West Cork is cool.
Pippa Middleton is, of course, the sister of Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge and the wife of Prince William.
It was at Kate’s wedding that she caught the eye of the photographers and she’s been an internet sensation ever since.
Mercifully – for the photographers at least – Pippa didn’t shy away from the cameras when she turned up in Glengarriff, last Saturday, to attend the wedding of her college friend Camilla Campion-Awwad to Oliver Jenkinson.
Instead, Pippa and her husband, James Matthews, smiled graciously for the cameras as they strolled through the village.
Such grace under pressure meant there was little or no disruption to the wedding ceremony at the Sacred Heart Church, to the drinks reception in the Maple Leaf Bar, or the wedding celebrations at Derrycreha House.
Derrycreha House was, as our local correspondent informed us, the former residence of the late Dr Maria Nolan, a grand aunt of the bride, who together with her husband, Dr Peter Hughes, served the local community for many years.
Pippa and James stayed at the Eccles Hotel over the weekend and they were only too delighted to join the rest of the wedding party when they took the short but memorable boat trip to Garinish Island.
As for news: Pippa’s visit brought a couple of things into focus, namely that Glengarriff is a vibrant tourism destination with unique tourism attractions, like Garinish Island; it honoured the memory of two GPs who served the community well; it shone a spotlight on an historic hotel that has not only been given a makeover but will also boost tourism locally – not to mention creating sustainable jobs.
And, like any good summer blockbuster read, Pippa’s visit provided us with a bit of escapism as we looked on in wonder at how the other half lives.
As for Facebook, the stats are in: 87,682 views, 824 likes, 91 shares and 224 comments, including the one made by our aforementioned friend.
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