‘Bishop Joe’ joins line-dancing lovers at Mahon’s Hotel

According to ‘Bishop Joe’, Patsy McKinney (83) met Lawrence Murray (87) at the Dance Den line dancing class in Downpatrick, and decided to hold a wedding at Mahon’s. “Both were widowers and formed a strong relationship.”

The happy couple.

He added: “Every year the line dancing class comes to Mahon’s Hotel in February, for the last seven years. This year, [at the time] when they were booking, Covid regulations didn’t allow dancing, and how can you have a line dancing weekend without dancing?” said Joe, adding: “But you were allowed to dance at a wedding.

Wedding guests.

“So Lawrence and Patsy provided the solution – they decided to get married on their trip to Fermanagh and invited all the dance class to their wedding.”

'Bishop' Joe Mahon and Fr. Brendan Lenaghan pictured with the happy couple Patsy McKinney and Lawrence Murray.

Accordingly, a ceremony and reception were both hosted at Mahon’s Hotel, with Joe helpfully assisting: “The ceremony was presided over by myself, Bishop Joe Mahon, and Fr. Brendan Lenaghan from Downpatrick, their own priest.”

Marion Hunsdale and John Murray played important roles assisting Patsy and Lawrence.

Line dancing at the wedding reception.

“During the ceremony when the question was asked was there any objections to the couple getting married, Mr. Paddy McCann declared his love for Patsy, as he had met her before on their trips to Irvinestown, but Patsy didn’t accept and the ceremony went ahead without a hitch,” said Joe, who added that following their big day at Mahon’s, Patsy and Lawrence were subsequently away walking the mountains of Mourne.

The first dance.