Dingle Sea Safari

Dingle Pub Crawl

Balleydavid Cliff Walk

Dingle Peninsula Hiking

Rehearsal & Rehearsal Dinner

Welcome Drinks!

Slea Head Drive Tour

Wedding Day Events

Rahinnane Castle

Ceremony

Dingle Benners Hotel

Cocktail Hour

Reception

Afters

Sip & Paint!

Spring

Hello! We're so excited to be in Ireland with you all! Please see below for up to date information on wedding events, times, and locations!

Wedding Events Schedule 

Our Wedding

The weather in Ireland, especially in Dingle, can be very unpredictable. The rainiest month in Dingle is January, and the month with the least rain is April. We will be visiting at the very end of March and hopefully will be on the receiving end of the least amount of rain possible…a girl can dream!&nbsp; Attire will be Semi-Formal and Clear Umbrellas (Please see below) for the ceremony. The ceremony will be at Rahinnane Castle Ruins. Please see "Castle" tab for more examples of what to expect location wise.&nbsp;We will be walking through a grass field and the ground at the castle is uneven.&nbsp;If previous days have had rain, the ground could be muddy. Please wear appropriate footwear, we do not advise heels, feel free to change footwear for the reception.&nbsp;If the weather is balmy, there is no coverage for rain. We will have an alternate rain backup if the weather is too bad, but if it is misty we'll plan to move forward with the Castle Wedding. If you feel the need to bring an umbrella, we kindly ask that it is clear to not obstruct the view of others. Space will be limited at the castle and everyone will be standing close to each other. We will also have clear ponchos if you do not have an umbrella matching these descriptions. The wedding ceremony will be very intimate and will be well under 30 mins as there will be no chairs. We have rented a house next door, the walk to the house will be 6 min. There, after the ceremony, we welcome guests to have a drink and relax while awaiting the shuttles to transport everyone to the cocktail hour and reception. There is no parking, unless previously discussed and arranged with the Bride and Groom. Shuttles, will again, be provided for the ceremony with the same pick up location as the tour earlier that morning.

Attire & What to Expect

Local Advice from a Lovely Local! 

FOOD&nbsp;:BREAKFAST/BRUNCH&nbsp;James Long’s Pub - Ask for Keith!! Sit at the top table if free and take in the Dingle locals.Seed &amp; Soul - Smoothies, Acai Bowls - lovely staff. PBJ is my favourite!!Juice for Thought - Juices (Incredible!) Matt’s a gent. He’ll set you up for the day!Hare’s Corner - Brunch - specials are normally off the charts good!! LUNCH&nbsp;Nourish Dingle - Claire is a legend!!!! Native Aussie who thankfully fell for a Kerryman!! ❤️‍James Longs Pub - Steak Sandwich all day long!! Keith is the best!!Courtney’s Bakery - Homemade Sandwiches - proper Mammy made!! Ask Gene, the baker/owner for a story 😂 DINNERFishBox Dingle - Incredible! Get the Fishbox between two - plenty! Michéal is a gent.Marina Inn - Proper hearty, Irish dinners - Tom is super - ask if his band is playing local.Murphy’s Pub - Same as above. Superb staff, family run, will be more than looked after.Doyle’s Restaurant - UNREAL - Small plates are exceptional and their beef/patatas bravas are to die for!!&nbsp;Solas - Tapas - Michelin Bib - Unreal! Porkbelly and Patatas Bravas… Droooool!!Charthouse - Michelin Star - Book well in advance. Beautiful - Steak is top notch! Croquettes. Croquettes. Croquettes.&nbsp; MISCKool Scoops Ice Cream - Proper Family run business - dotes!!Harrington’s - Deep Fried Mars Bar - illegally good! COFFEENourish Dingle&nbsp;My Boy Blue&nbsp;Bean In Dingle&nbsp;All exceptional places, staff, product and service. Sláinte! SHOPS: Outwest Ireland - Clothing Store - Ask for Shane and Bec - Sweethearts!!Sweetpea Dingle - Ask for Helen - the best person ever!!!!!Kathleen McAuliffe - stunning shop. Gorgeous scarves and sustainable clothing.&nbsp;Dingle Candle - Croí is my favourite scent. Room spray is epic!!Dingle Crystal - Ship worldwide, inspired by and made on the peninsula. Ask for Séan or Bella. Family owned and ran.&nbsp;Café Liteartha - Old, quaint bookshop - incredible vibes!!Dingle Bookshop - Ask for Jill, a native Aussie who fell for Dingle ❤️‍La Boheme Ladies Fashion - Beautiful colours and lovely staff.Strand House - Superb array of Irish Fashion Brands.&nbsp;Fiadh Woven Design - Handmade woven products, scarves, hand warmers, headbands. PUBS:CRAIC (FUN)Dick Mack’s Pub - Ask for Finn, family owned. A magic spot. Dick’s opened in 1899, and they still make leather belts! I have four paintings hanging here - keep an eye out! Micro-brewery out back, ask about daily tours!&nbsp;Foxy John’s Bar &amp; Hardware - Proper pub, real local spot. Ask for Richie and tell them Laura Barry sent you!! Possibly the first public toilet in Dingle!? Spot my painting in the snug!Bob Griffin’s - Lovely cosy spot, ask for Normán (pronounced Norm-awn! A character!) or Eoghan (pronounced Owen - a gent!)Hannie Agnes’s - Real, cosy spot - ask about the old ladies toilet! MUSIC&nbsp;O’ Flaherty’s - Call in and ask what time Fergus is singing. Seamus and Séan are gentleman. If there’s a GAA Match, ask to sit in the back bar - top secret!!!!!!!O’ Sullivan’s Courthouse Pub - Tommy is incredible! Trad, trad, trad!Dingle Pub - World Champion Irish Dancer David appears around 7pm. Double Check!McCarthy’s Pub - Great cosy, local spot - super bar people. Music - Ask!Droichead Beag - Late Bar - Normally Live Acts every night.&nbsp;Paul Geaney’s Bar - Late Bar - Normally Live Acts every night.&nbsp; SPORTPaddy Bawn Brosnan’s - My favourite sports bar. The Late Paddy played football for Kerry, a total of 3 All-Ireland Medals. Real sportspeople, good for a bet and banter... A serious atmosphere on match days. I have never walked in when the sports channel wasn’t on. Top class bar people, family owned and ran. Legends!!!! Ask for Brian and Conor, my two favourite Bawn’s!!! 😂Paul Geaney’s Bar - Great spot for food, sports and chatter. Paul Jnr. currently plays for the Kerry Senior Football team. Captain of Dingle Senior Men’s team. Lovely family!! Ask for Eileen - legend!! COCKTAILS&nbsp;Kennedy’s Bar - So cosy, the snug is best! Bees Knees is my favourite cocktail.James Long’s - Cocktails for days!Green Room @ John Benny’s - Signature Cocktails, a pure bougie, cosy, revamped space. Ask for Ben!&nbsp;Bob Griffin’s - Order a ‘Well hung Pornstar Martini or Peanut Butter Espresso Martini’ 😂 ACTIVITIES:Beaches for swimming - Ventry (google high tide - jump off pier), Cuan Pier, Tigh Tp’s @ Ballydavid, Dún Síon, Binn Bán. Ask locally about jellyfish at time of year. Personally I would avoid swimming @ Com Dhíneol, Clogher and Brandon Creek. (Undercurrents are terrifying!) Just please read the signs everywhere and have a bit of cop on. Respect the water. Get home safe and sound.&nbsp;Eask Tower - easy/medium hike across Dingle Bay to the tower in view. Stunning views back at Dingle town, or the vast Atlantic looking westward. Next Stop America!Rahinnane Castle, Ventry - Beautiful views!Great Blasket Island - Day trip, or book a cottage and stay the night. Favourite place on the planet - disconnected and connected all at the same time.&nbsp;Dunmore Head Viewing Point @ Coumeenole/Com Dhíneol Beach - Short, steep incline, but worth every breath.&nbsp;Cruach Mhartháin - 25 min hike, short, steep incline - best view on peninsula.&nbsp;Mount Brandon - Only if you’re feeling Mountainous. 14 Crosses lead you to the summit. Guide recommended - Speak to Shane Finn of Outwest Clothing - very experienced.Slea Head Drive - Go early - take the day. Stop everywhere. Take your well deserved time.Stop at the grotto, white marble sculpture and peer at the Blasket Islands (spot the three cottages that can be rented.) Inis Tuaisceart, An Fear Marbh (Dead Man), or The Sleeping Giant is the middle island that looks like a man lying down, belly up.. My favourite Kerryman ever!!!!!Dunquin Pier (Zig zag pier, photo on postcards. Walk out left, past the first info board. Be careful/ No, seriously.Ryan’s Daughter Schoolhouse walk - scene of Ryan’s Daughter Film. Supposedly put Dingle on the map!&nbsp;Clogher Head&nbsp;Brandon Creek&nbsp;Kruger’s Pub - Most westerly pub in Europe. Next stop USA. Pool table here and stunning views of the Blasket Islands. Take your time. Local link bus available to Dingle town if you’re feeling thirsty and need to leave the car overnight. It happens!Any pub in Ballyferriter - Every single one has it’s own thing. Superb people. Won’t get more westernised than this. Untouched culture. Pure Irish.Conor Pass - Mountain Pass between Dingle and Tralee. Off the charts - clear day. Highest Mountain Pass Drive in Ireland. Stop at Waterfall and make a 5-10 min trek to Pedlar’s Lake. Magic. Beautiful when closer to/at sunrise or sunset, shadow formations etc.&nbsp;Dingle Sea Safari - Book it. Just go. Flannery’s are characters! Superb value for money!!! TAXI/BUSESJohnny Logan - +353860634249&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Séan Lynch - +353876602323 My genuine and favourite piece of advice would be to put aside one day where you plan absolutely nothing, only getting up out of bed.Let Dingle be Dingle. I promise it’ll be worth it! -Laura Barry

Things to Do

One of the best parts about Dingle is the opportunity to stay in a variety of lodging options. You can’t go wrong with wherever you choose as the town is completely walkable! From Bed and Breakfasts, House Rentals, to Hotels there are many places to choose from. We have reserved hotel blocks at both the Dingle Benners Hotel (reception venue) and the Dingle Skellig Hotel. The Benners also have cabin rentals that have three bedrooms and can sleep a variety of group sizes for a great price! They are reserved under our block as well. If renting houses, please make sure you are close enough to town to get around, as taxis and ubers are slim. The reception will be at the Dingle Benners Hotel, the Afters will be at a bar close to the hotel. Transportation will be provided for our Sleigh Head Drive tour the morning of the wedding (our gift to you, our lovely wedding guests). There will be a central pick up location and drop off for the tour, then a consecutive pick up a few hours later for the ceremony. Transportation will again be provided for the ceremony back to town for the reception.

Dingle Benners has a room block held for the wedding. They have blocked out the dates online, so there will appear there is no availability, but there is. Please email Breda at reservations@dinglebenners.com in regards to the Julia Bonatz and Liam Ennis Wedding. The wedding rate for rooms are $169/night (euros) for a Classic King Room, and and $219/night (euros) for a Superior Twin/Double Room. There are also cottage houses rented through the Benners for $300/night (euros). They contain 3 bedrooms (1 double room ensuite, 1 twin room with two beds, and 1 single) plus living room and kitchen, sleeps 5. Rooms/Cottages have been reserved from Tuesday March 25th-Friday March 28th.

Skellig Hotel has a room block under the code JuliaLiam. The rooms are $180/night (euros). Rooms have been reserved from Monday March 24th-Friday March 28th.

Dingle Skellig Hotel & Peninsula Spa

Accommodations 

Why is Dingle famous?Often described as Bohemian, artistic, and genuinely friendly, Dingle is famed for its hardware pubs (where you can buy a pint and some wellies). But push out beyond the town and you're faced with an incredible 6,000 years of history and the Kerry coastline with its pounding waves, salty winds, dramatic cliffs and wide racing skies. Do they speak English in Dingle?Dingle feels so traditionally Irish because it's part of a Gaeltacht, a region where the government subsidizes the survival of the Irish language and culture. While English is everywhere, the signs, chitchat, and songs come in Gaelic. Slea Head Scenic DriveThe 47 km Slea Head Scenic Drive on the Dingle Peninsula is one of the best and most spectacular driving routes in Ireland with breath-taking views of the coastline, offshore islands, cliff top roads and awe-inspiring things to see and do along the way. What movies were filmed in Dingle?Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last JediFar and AwayRyan's DaughterMummers &amp; Masks How many pubs are there in Dingle?50 pubs! Dingle is the proud home to over 50 pubs. There's one for every 40 residents! Where did Amy Winehouse sing in Dingle?Saint James's church! Amy took to the stage of Saint James's church and performed for a little over 20 minutes. She absolutely wowed the small, packed crowd, singing six songs from Back to Black accompanied for that one night only by guitar and bass.

Interesting Dingle Facts

Registry

After meeting on Bumble, we went on our first date at Gutheries Tavern (one of Julias favorite bars). We knew pretty quickly this would become something special. After drinks and many laughs, the spark was lit, and more dates were planned. Pretty quickly, our love grew, and we became inseparable!&nbsp; Throughout our years together, we found a mutual love for the outdoors. We do our best to visit many&nbsp;National and State Parks&nbsp;to go hiking and camping. We love going to street fests in the city, backyard hangs, concerts, traveling, and so much more! We also enjoy sharing these moments with our dog Bear by taking him with us on adventures. His favorite places are the dog park and dog beach, but really his favorite place is wherever Mom and Dad are.&nbsp; We also have a mutual love for Wisconsin since we're both Green Bay Packers fans! We take annual trips to Door County with Liam's family, and Mountain with Julia's family. We love exploring the local shops and tubing in the Wolf River.&nbsp; Ireland has always held a special place in Julia's heart, and she always knew she wanted to get married there. Little did she know that she'd meet a guy who's family has strong Irish roots, and an Ireland wedding would be in the future!&nbsp; We have been lucky enough to travel to Ireland to visit family and see the sights, and we can't wait to share all of our special places with our friends and family!&nbsp;

Our Story 

This past January we went to Ireland on a hunt for the perfect Irish Ruins for our ceremony! We conquered driving on the other side of the road (honestly not that scary), drove across Ireland, saw many castles and historic sites, got the car stuck in a ditch (Liam), and ultimately fell in love with Dingle! See our road trip below! In order, we visited Rock of Dunamase, Rock of Cashel, Hore Abbey, Muckross Abbey, Minard Castle, Rahinnane Castle, and Carrigogunnell Castle!

Ruins Hunt!

We will be getting married at Rahinnane Castle Ruins, on the Dingle Peninsula. This castle boasts ancient Celtic and Viking History. Rahinnane Castle is a National Monument located in County Kerry, Ireland. It is a 15th Century structure built by the Anglo-Norman Fitzgeralds within a much more ancient ringfort that was previously the seat of the local Gaelic chieftain. The original structure dates from the Iron Age, and its original Irish name suggests a connection with the Battle of Ventry, one of the great battles of Celtic Mythology. Local tradition claims that this piece of land was the last in Ireland held by the Vikings, as it was so easily defended. In 1602, towards the end of the Nine Years War, the castle was taken by Sir Charles Wilmot. It was ruined during the Cromwellian Conquest (1649–53).

Liam & Julia

Liam & Julia

Photos