Kildare couple's 80th wedding anniversary celebrated in special way
Right, Tom and Carmel Byrne on their wedding day, and left, their children Marella, Dave and Catriona at The Hunt Museum with the wedding dress and headdress on display.
A VERY special wedding anniversary was celebrated in The Hunt Museum in Limerick recently, when children of a much-loved deceased Kilcullen couple — Tom and Carmel Byrne — marked 80 years since their parents had married.
The reason behind the event was the wedding dress, designed for Carmel by the late icon of Irish fashion, Sybil Connolly, which today is part of the museum's collection of her work.
To mark the occasion, attended by Marella Fyffe née Byrne, Dave Byrne, and Catriona Byrne, the dress was put on special display with a picture from Carmel and Tom's wedding in University Church in Dublin's St Stephen's Green, on 5 June 1945.
A spokesperson for the museum said the ensemble, designed when Sybil Connolly was with Richard Alan, "remains a timeless example of Irish craftsmanship", adding that they were delighted to put on the anniversary display as a way of thanking Carmel and her family for their generous donation of it to the Sybil Connolly Collection.
"This piece celebrates not only one family’s history, but the important stories of the women who wore Sybil Connolly and the legacy of Sybil Connolly and Irish design," they said.
Born in Dublin in 1918, Carmel came from a musically gifted Limerick family. Her great-grandfather and grandfather were both organists and professors of music, a heritage woven into her life with elegance and tradition.
Tom Byrne was a pioneering auctioneer and prominent Kilcullen businessman. The wedding breakfast was held at The Gresham Hotel, Dublin, and was followed by a honeymoon in Killiney and Killarney.
Dave Byrne described the anniversary day as a "sentimental journey" and thanked the Hunt Museum and the director, Teresa Crowley, and her staff for making it a wonderful occasion.
Sybil Connolly, who died in 1998, was known for her innovative use of traditional Irish textiles in haute couture. Often described as 'Dublin's Dior', she achieved international repute and success.
Clients included Jacqueline Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor, the Rockefeller banking and industrial family, and the wealthy and influential Mellon family of Pittsburgh.
