SHEILA BUTTERLY AND Matthew O’Neill were married in University Church in St Stephen’s Green, Dublin, on July 25th by Fr Paul Lavelle, a friend of the bride’s father.
The bride is the daughter of John and Trish Butterly of Dublin. She attended Notre Dame des Missions in Churchtown, before studying at Trinity College, where she received a degree in Business, Economic and Social Studies (BESS). She then went to Cambridge University, where she studied computer science, and now works as a project consultant for Investec Asset Management in London.
Her two brothers, Alan and David, were ushers at the wedding. Two of her bridesmaids were school friends, Emer McLoughlin and Brenda Donnelly, and they were joined by a former colleague, Rita Papaleo, who flew in from New York for the occasion.
Matthew is the son of Mary and John O’Neill and he grew up just outside London and Zurich. He attended Stonyhurst College in Lancashire, followed by Durham University, where he studied geography. He now works for PA Consulting in London as a management consultant.
His brother Andrew served as his best man, with friends George Inoue and friend Robin Walduch as groomsmen.
The couple were introduced to one another by one of Sheila’s colleagues. At one gathering, they made a bet on the outcome of an Ireland/England Six Nations Cup rugby game – with the winner having to take the other to dinner. Matthew decided to call in the bet early, however, and they had their first date in November of 2005. He proposed exactly two years later.
Music played a big part in their wedding celebrations and singer Celine Byrne was accompanied by the Slovak Festival Orchestra during the ceremony. Vladimir Jablokov and his quartet then followed the bride and groom into St Stephen’s Green and played for the guests as photographs were being taken. Afterwards, they led the wedding party into the Shelbourne Hotel, playing all the while.
More than half the 150 guests travelled from abroad, including Hong Kong, South Africa, New Zealand and the US, so guests were asked mark where they had come from on a big map of the world. This became a focal point during the reception and has subsequently been framed as a souvenir of the day.
For the dancing, Matthew chose a band called The Panoramics, having listened to their videos on the internet.
The pair went to the final U2 concert in Dublin the Monday after the wedding and then went on to France to attend another wedding. They are planning a longer honeymoon after Christmas, when they hope to visit South Africa. They live in London.