Title : Manson & Von Teese Wedding - December 2006

Date : 12/01/2006

News Details : As well as providing the venue for last weekend's lavish wedding ceremony of American shock rocker Marilyn Manson and his long time girlfriend Dita von Teese, Tipperary also made a major contribution to the organisation of the event. Despite the veil of secrecy and the tight security that surrounded the ceremony at the Gurteen Le Paor mansion in Kilsheelan on Saturday evening, The Nationalist has learned that three members of the same family were directly involved in the smooth running of the weekend's festivities.

Her sister Orla and brother Shane joined event manager Fiona Leahy in the organisation of the ceremony. The Leahys are the daughters and son of Kevin and Beatrice Leahy, from Ladyswell House, Cashel, who previously ran Bailey's guesthouse and restaurant in Cashel and also lived for a spell in Marlfield, Clonmel.

Chief planner Fiona was assisted by Orla, the food and drink supplier for the wedding and Shane, who organised the transport for guests.

As the celebrations continued throughout the weekend, Dita von Teese and one of the celebrity guests, Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis Presley, visited Clonmel on Monday night, when they enjoyed a drink in Phil Carroll's bar in Parnell Street.

It's also understood that Lisa Marie Presley organised for a bouquet of flowers to be placed on the grave of famous Clonmel tenor Frank Patterson, at the town's St. Patrick's. Cemetery. In the course of his illustrious career the Clonmel singer, who died five years ago, sang some of the songs made famous by Elvis Presley.

Several A-list celebrities were reported to have been among the 100 or so guests, although The Nationalist has been told that Madonna and her film producer husband Guy Ritchie were not among them. However some Hollywood film producers, as well as celebrated clothes designer Jean Paul Gaultier and other well-known names from the world of fashion were also present, while there were unconfirmed sightings of film star Johnny Depp in Kilsheelan.

A soiree of the wedding party that was planned for McCarthy's bar in Fethard on Sunday night was cancelled, when the owners reportedly refused to clear the premises for the visiting entourage. Instead the guests were treated to a performance by some Cashel musicians at the castle in Kilsheelan.

Marilyn Manson and former stripper Dita von Teese chose the Gurteen Le Paor castle at the invitation of its owner, Austrian artist Gottfried Heinwein, who is a friend of the couple. The mansion, built in 1866 and set on 16 acres overlooking the river Suir, was restored over the past number of years by the Austrian artist.

London-based Fiona Leahy is a designer to several major jewellery houses. She has worked with a host of well-known names, including Mick Jagger's daughter Jade Jagger, and was recruited by the bride to co-ordinate the wedding ceremony. Her sister Orla Leahy is the sales and marketing manager with Masterchefs, a Limerick-based catering company that is responsible for events at venues such as Bunratty Castle and Kilshane House in Tipperary.

The couple stipulated that as much food as possible would be sourced in Tipperary, and the bride visited the area for a number of tastings in the preparation of the menu. It's believed that the menu included lobster, organic cheese, monkfish, salmon, spit-roasted pig and beef, while the wedding cake was flown in from New York.

Shane Leahy, meanwhile, who ferried many of the guests to and from the airport as well as driving them around the area, has recently set up Ireland Travel Services, his own company in Tipperary, which incorporates Ireland Chauffeur Drive.

Many of the guests stayed in Kilshane House and the Cashel Palace Hotel. It's under-stood that the Cashel hotel played host to the bride and groom for two nights before the wedding.

The guests were reported to be highly impressed by their visit to the area, and the level of organisation and hospitality experienced over the weekend.