A horse and trap, a groom in snakeskin and leather, and knee high boots with her wedding dress saw Dolores O’Riordan marry Don Burton in true rock'n'roll style.
We’re sure the small Co. Tipperary village of Holycross had never seen the likes of it before, or since, the wedding of The Cranberries lead singer Dolores O’Riordan and her former husband Don Burton descended on the Abbey in July 1994.
At the start of their 20-year marriage, during which they had three children together, Dolores O’Riordan and Don Burton, the former tour manager for Duran Duran, were one of the coolest couples around and their rock'n'roll extravaganza of a wedding more than proved it.
Pictures of the happy day had O’Riordan photographed in a more than memorable wedding dress, arriving to the church in a pony and trap wearing cream knee high boots, lace tights and a transparent dress to compliment her bleach blonde hair.
Read more: The demons that lingered for Dolores O’Riordan
Dolores O'Riordan and Don Burton on their wedding day in July 1994. Image: RollingNews.ie.
Her groom? Burton arrived on horseback to the restored Cistercian monastery, where their marriage was to take place, wearing leather and snakeskin, before the pair emerged from Holy Cross Abbey after the wedding to jump onto the pony and trap and travel to the popular wedding venue Aherlow House Hotel.
In the biggest celebrity wedding to ever hit Co. Tipperary, hundreds gathered to catch a glimpse of the couple at the 13th-century Abbey, where O’Riordan had attended novenas as a child with her mother, Eileen. It was all but certain that the iconic singer would hold her wedding here as soon as the engagement was announced, according to her mother at the time. Then aged just 22 years old, O’Riordan is said to have loved the Abbey and always wanted to be married there.
Read more: Irish language version of Cranberries "Zombie" surfaces the day after Dolores O'Riordan's death
Dolores O'Riordan and Don Burton on their wedding day in July 1994. Image: RollingNews.ie.
Dolores O'Riordan and Don Burton remained together for 20 years before a split in 2014 when the singer was working as a judge of "The Voice of Ireland."
On Monday, January 15, the death of The Cranberries lead singer Dolores O’Riordan sent shock waves around the world as the first death of a major cultural figure in 2018, Ireland, in particular, mourning the young loss of one of its most prized singers and performers who had catapulted from Co. Limerick to international mega-stardom in the 1990s.
Dolores O'Riordan and Don Burton on their wedding day in July 1994. Image: RollingNews.ie.
Police were called to a hotel on Park Lane around 9am Monday morning where a woman in her mid-40s was pronounced dead at the scene.
Her death was confirmed by a publicist in a short statement: "Irish and international singer Dolores O’Riordan has died suddenly in London today. She was 46 years old. The lead singer with the Irish band The Cranberries, was in London for a short recording session. No further details are available at this time.
Dolores O'Riordan and Don Burton on their wedding day in July 1994. Image: RollingNews.ie.
"Family members are devastated to hear the breaking news and have requested privacy at this very difficult time."
A post-mortem result is expected later this week.
Do you remember O’Riordan’s wedding? What was your favorite memory of the singer and her music? Let us know in the comments section, below.
Comments