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Daily Mail
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Traveller girls look wedding-ready on their Communion day - complete with ballgowns, carriages and three-tier cakes
Perching on white thrones beside three-tiered cakes adorned with white icing, their make-up perfect and tiaras perched on their heads, the girls looked every inch the perfect brides in their voluminous white gowns. But these scenes were not from a lavish wedding day, however. Girls from the Traveller community have been enjoying the UK and Ireland's most lavish First Holy Communions throughout April and May when the religious ceremony is traditionally held. With white, flowing gowns, balloon arches, and a carriage suitable for Cinderella herself, one might easily mistake the events, where Catholic children receive the Eucharist for the first time, for weddings. In addition to marking the important rite of passage of receiving the body and blood of Christ for the first time, a child's First Holy Communion appears to be an excuse for parents and loved ones to throw an unforgettable bash to remember the occasion. One young woman employed the help of hair stylist Tori Boylan, who describes herself on her TikTok as a 'pro bridal and party hair specialist', to achieve her jaw-dropping look. The girl from Rathkeale, County Limerick, put on a glittering display in a dramatic white ball gown, white sash, floor-length veil and net gloves. She finished off her look with glamorous makeup, complete with a pink blusher and matching lipstick. Her look isn't one-of-a-kind, and another bridal specialist, @kimsqueenstyles, worked with a duo of girls called Sofia and Vallerina to mark their First Holy Communion in a similar fashion. Kim shared an image of one of the young girls stood on the stage, which featured a balloon arch and a LED light up cross, mirroring an engagement pose, as a man, presumably her father, knelt down on one knee with her hand in his for a photograph. Prior to the event, Sofia and Vallerina posed on the stage in silk white robes before changing into their elaborate gowns. Both of them opted for similar hair and makeup styles, which included glowing, bronzed faces, and their hair up to ensure the focus was on their dazzling gold and pearl tiaras. Elsewhere, a different young lady appeared to have trumped the others when it comes to having the most dramatic First Holy Communion entrance. TikTok account @royalbridalweddings shared a clip of a girl, dressed in an elegant princess dress and holding a silver wand, arriving at her First Holy Communion in a magical white carriage with her family. She was helped in and out of the carriage by presumably her mother, who also dressed in white for the happy occasion. And it was no easy feat, with her mother and other guests throwing the flowing material from the girl's dress into the carriage before they could set off to their destination. Meanwhile, another girl called Savanna looked equally as elegant as she donned a long-sleeved white glittering gown for her special day. The same TikTok account shared a short clip of the girl posing and swishing around in her dress, enjoying time at home before setting off to the venue. @toriboylan95 MY RATHKEALE COMMUNION GIRL TODAY SANTANA 🤍✨🤍✨ HAIRSTYLIST TORIBOYLAN94 ON INSTAGRAM FOLLOW ME 🤍✨🤍✨ MAKEUP @Melanie Meade ♬ original sound - Tori Boylan Elsewhere, another called Annie added a white umbrella to complete her glamorous look. Annie had a stylist spritzing perfume in her hair before she walked outside of her home, which was decorated with a white carpet rolled out for her to step out onto. 'Here is Annie', @kimsqueenstyles wrote alongside the footage of the young girl on her special day. One dress was clearly not enough for her, and Annie later changed into a stunning after-party dress made from gathered white material. In a different post, Kim shared footage of another event she worked on for a young girl called Juliet, who sat posing on a floral embellished swing in the sunshine for photographs. Later on, the swing appeared to move inside as Juliet posed by what appeared to be the same swing under the neon lights of the after party. Meanwhile, Nicole Mcadorey from Belfast shared footage of her daughter posing in her white dress before her First Holy Communion. 'We have waited forever for this day - my little darling's First Holy Communion,' Nicole wrote alongside the clip of her daughter. It's not just elaborate gowns and fancy decorations that families have splashed out on for their children's communions, but also lavish cakes. One young girl called Nellie enjoyed a stunning three-tiered cake, complete with white frosting and pink icing flowers designed by White Blossom Bakes. Meanwhile, another event planner called Andrea Shillingford, who goes by Extravagant Travellers Events, shared images of another three-tiered cake draped in flowers for a young girl called Rosie. Rosie appeared delighted as she posed on the marble dancefloor, which was inscribed with the words, 'Rosie's Holy Communion'. It comes after a bride who tied the knot in lavish style at The Dorchester has pulled off what appears to be the UK's most expensive Traveller wedding to date. Louise Durant, 21, and Billy Maguire, 22, celebrated their union in a winter wonderland wedding at the luxurious Mayfair hotel - where room hire can start at £10,000 - surrounded by 350 guests. The bride, whose family is from the Traveller community, said the festive nuptials - which took place in December - were 'more than a dream come true'. 'It was beyond my wildest imaginations,' she told MailOnline. 'The day started amazingly and just got better and better. It was perfect.' The family had been saving for two years, and indeed no expense was spared to create the perfect magical occasion. Louise's parents couldn't confirm how much exactly the wedding set them back, but said it was well over £100,000 - and didn't baulk when figures of around £250,000 were mentioned. Those in attendance at the five-star venue on Park Lane - which has been visited by the likes of David Bowie and Elizabeth Taylor - were treated to glittering décor with flowers as white as snow, festive candles, icy blue lighting and an elegantly trimmed Christmas tree. The azure dancefloor, which featured a glitzy disco ball gave the illusion of an ice rink for the happy couple to enjoy dancing on, while each table was adorned with snow globes and Christmas cracker party favours containing Bible verses. Friends and family compared the beaming bride to a 'princess', who was the image of glamour in a structured ivory gown, while followers on social media likened the celebrations to a ' royal wedding '. Louise, 21, and Billy, 22, live in Yorkshire and had been together for four years before deciding to tie the knot. Festivities on December 14 kicked off with a bang as four ex-London double decker buses picked up guests from their hotel, the Hilton on Park Lane, at 11.30am and took them all to St John's Church in Hyde Park. Louise's dress - by Eleni Bridal Couture of North London - featured a corset-style bodice embroidered with lace detailing, which fanned out into a sweeping skirt, and long sleeves which puffed at the shoulders. The bride and her 12 bridesmaids were taken there in a horse-drawn carriage from The Dorchester. She entered the church with music from the London Fanfare Trumpets who had dressed for the ceremony to look like Coldstream Guards. The service was an hour, and then guests were taken to The Dorchester for the wedding breakfast and the evening service. Starters was a mushroom soup with pastry on top, while the main featured a festive Christmas turkey dinner. To finish up, desert was sticky toffee pudding with the couple's initials and the date of the wedding written in chocolate sauce. Each table was adorned with snow globes containing photos of Billy and Louise, white shortbread biscuits in the shape of a dove, and Christmas crackers which contained a verse from bible and a chocolate in. The evening ceremony was in The Dorchester's ballroom and ran until 1am - and Louise and Billy's first dance was Ain't Nobody by US funk band Rufus and Chaka Khan. Music was provided by The Function Band and DJ Andrea Shillingford. One of the guests - Belsie Connors, who regularly sings at Traveller fairs and events - also sang for the occasion. Louise and Billy - who work for the family's holiday and lettings business - stayed at The Dorchester until December 16 and then embarked on a three and a half week honeymoon to Barbados, Orlando and New York. 'We had family from all corners of the UK, it was brilliant to see everyone. I had the best bridesmaids,' the bride gushed. 'The staff at the Dorchester were incredible, they helped make our big day all the more memorable. 'These are memories that will last a lifetime.' Her mother Vicky Morrison, who lives with relatives on a gated compound made up of five static homes near the village of Bagworth in Leicestershire, said the whole family 'chipped in' to make the couple's dream wedding come to life.
Daily Mail
24-05-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Moment police arrest and handcuff two '10-year-old boys' as furious mother accuses force of 'pure abuse of power' in lead-up to Appleby Horse Fair
A distressed mother has accused police of 'pure abuse of power' after they arrested and handcuffed her son and another youngster right in front of her. The boys, both understood to be 10 years old, were approached by Cumbria Police officers in Kirkby Lonsdale yesterday morning after reports that a member of the public had been threatened with a penknife. However, following an extensive search no knife or other weapon was found and the boys were released. Cumbria Police later said in a statement they had been handcuffed 'for their and officers safety while the searches were completed.' But footage of the incident shows one of the boys clearly becoming agitated after being handcuffed - with his mother also becoming tearful at the sight of her detained son. Posting the video on social media, where it has so far been viewed tens of thousands of times, the distraught mother - who is believed to be from the Traveller community - alleged the police action had amounted to 'bullying'. The incident occurred in the run-up to the annual Appleby Horse Fair, which takes place next month and represents the largest traditional Gypsy and Traveller fair in Europe. In the short video, the mother can be heard pleading with the officer and says: 'He's a little 10-year-old boy.' She then attempts to comfort her son, who is visibly crying. Appealing to the officer again, the mother asks him not to handcuff her son, but he remains resolute. 'He's a f***ing kid,' she tells him, before the officer assures her that he will 'explain what he did'. The mother then says: 'Don't hurt him'. As the commotion continues, a second youngster is seen being led away by officers in handcuffs. A day after the incident, the mother wrote: 'Our boys were put in handcuffs on the basis of False allegations! Pure abuse of power and provoking behaviour! Bullying 10 year olds!' The impassioned mother added: 'You wouldn't see them doing this to any other community! 'And they wonder why our children are frit [afraid] of them, this could of been handled in a completely different manner. #abuseofpower'. In a statement posted after the video was circulated, a police spokesperson said: 'Cumbria Police are aware of concerns being expressed on social media in response to the handcuffing and search of two boys at Kirkby Lonsdale. 'At around 11.30am on 22 May 2025 Cumbria Police received a call for service from a member of the public reporting a group of boys on the path by the River Lune, one of whom threatened the caller with a penknife. 'Officers carried out a search in the area and located two boys based on the descriptions provided. 'Due to the report of a knife, the boys were handcuffed for their and officers safety while the searches were completed. 'A search was carried out and no knife located, and the handcuffs removed. 'Officers continue to engage with people in the area. 'Stop and search will be used as appropriate to ensure the safety of all communities as we work to ensure everyone has a safe Appleby Fair.' Around 30,000 visitors from all over Europe descend each year on the small town of Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria, which has hosted the event since 1775. Cumbria Police said it employs an extensive policing operation to 'enhance public safety' at the event, with last year seeing more than 100 arrests taking place.
BreakingNews.ie
19-05-2025
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Cork TD seeks to stop inquiry into his alleged offensive comments about Travellers
Independent Ireland TD Ken O'Flynn has called on the public ethics watchdog to halt its inquiry into alleged offensive comments he made about Travellers while a member of Cork City Council four years ago. Lawyers for the Cork North Central TD raised a series of objections to the planned inquiry at a sitting of the Standards in Public Office Commission (Sipo) on Monday. Advertisement The TD is accused of making comments about the Spring Lane halting site in Ballyvolane, Cork, during an interview on Cork's Red FM on June 16th, 2021, that are alleged to be inaccurate, misleading and indicative of a biased view of members of the Traveller community. It is also claimed Mr O'Flynn demonstrated bias against Travellers in social media posts on his Facebook account. Mr O'Flynn denies three separate allegations that he contravened the Local Government Act 2001, the Code of Conduct for councillors and a specified act under the Standards in Public Office Act 2001 and insists his remarks represent 'fair comment'. During the radio interview, Mr O'Flynn stated a 72-page report into Spring Lane by the Ombudsman for Children entitled No End in Site was 3-4 pages in length, did not mention the parents of children concerned and did not involve Tusla. Advertisement He also allegedly remarked about the Traveller community: 'What are they now – an ethnic minority?' Counsel for Sipo, Conor Feeney BL, said it was alleged that Mr O'Flynn – as a member of a local authority – had failed to maintain the proper standard of integrity, conduct and concern for the public interest, contrary to Section 168 of the Local Government Act 2001. The inquiry heard that the alleged comments also represented several breaches of the Code of Conduct for councillors as well as amounting to a specified act under the Standards in Public Office Act. The Cork politician is also accused of showing bias towards members of the Traveller community in posts on his Facebook account. Advertisement Sipo's counsel said it is alleged that Mr O'Flynn also failed to monitor or remove inflammatory and derogatory comments made about Travellers in response to his posts. He is further accused of expressly endorsing some of those comments by using the 'like' feature in reply to posts on Facebook. Mr Feeney said Mr O'Flynn's acts and omissions amounted to several breaches of the Code of Conduct for councillors including the unacceptable use or misuse of social media by promoting discrimination. The Sipo Commission heard that Mr O'Flynn was challenging its right to proceed with an inquiry on a number of grounds including that he was not carrying out his functions as a councillor when the alleged acts took place and that his remarks constituted legitimate commentary. Advertisement Counsel for the TD, Brian Leahy BL, said there had been 'cherry-picking' of posts by Mr O'Flynn which were selective from half a million interactions on his Facebook account and not a fair reflection of his attitude to the Traveller community. Mr Leahy claimed the Facebook posts pre-dated a newer version of the Code of Conduct for councillors which contained a specific provision in relation to the use of social media. The barrister accepted that the alleged comments about the Traveller community sounded 'dismissive' but noted that there was a discrepancy between the transcript of the Red FM interview and the actual audio recording. Mr Leahy said Mr O'Flynn was saying that Cork City Council was doing everything it could 'for what now have been declared an ethnic minority.' Advertisement He argued his client was making a statement of fact as the Traveller community had been so recognised since 2017 and the council was obliged to 'go that extra step' in relation to housing for them. Mr Leahy said there was a particular bias against Mr O'Flynn because of a perception that he had a particular view on Travellers. He claimed the radio interview was essentially about housing which Mr O'Flynn accepted was a serious problem for everyone but particularly the Traveller community. However, the barrister said Mr O'Flynn was not performing his duties as a councillor in giving the interview. Mr Leahy said the Commission would have to be very balanced in favour of a person who expressed an opinion if it was seeking to interfere with 'someone's right of real expression in the political sphere.' He noted that Mr O'Flynn admitted he had issues with the Spring Lane halting site but said anyone in Cork would agree there were problems with it as around 100 people were living in terrible conditions in a halting site with space for eight families. 'Mr O'Flynn has brought this to the attention of the community and he has advocated for proper treatment of the Travelling community. That may have come across as criticism but it's talking about the problem,' said Mr Leahy. He added: 'We can't brush it under the counter….we have to be open and have adult conversations.' Mr Leahy said he did not envy the task faced by the Commission in determining when a political point of view strayed from being a legitimate expression of concern into 'unlawful speak.' He stressed that it was very important that politicians can say what they need to say. 'If we stop them communicating and saying what they need to say, we end up with Brexit and Trump,' Mr Leahy observed. He acknowledged that the TD had 'stepped on people's toes' with his comments but argued that both Mr O'Flynn and Cork City Council had a problem with the report by the Ombudsman for Children. Arguing that the complaint against Mr O'Flynn did not warrant a SIPO inquiry, Mr Leahy said the TD 'spoke from the heart' about what he thought was an attack on the council. Counsel said Mr O'Flynn simply wanted 'to bring up issues' and he noted that people had also been insulting to the politician after he had come out as a gay man The inquiry heard the TD did not want to offend anyone 'but if he has, he didn't mean it.' Mr Leahy also indicated that the TD would be making an application at a later stage for his legal costs if they were successful in stopping the inquiry as Mr O'Flynn was 'out of pocket' from his dealings with SIPO. Ireland 'Boxer' Moran takes aim at Independent Ireland ove... Read More In reply to questions from the Commission chairperson, Garrett Sheehan, Mr Leahy said it was very difficult to determine where a function of a councillor ended as well as finding a balance between free speech and offensive speech that needed to be restrained. However, Mr Leahy said he did not believe Mr O'Flynn's comments had reached that threshold. He also confirmed that the TD had not actively removed any of his Facebook posts apart from one incorrect statement, while he had 'unliked' a few messages that had been the subject of complaints. It is understood the SIPO Commission will give its ruling on the application to halt the inquiry in the near future.
