Ballinacurra House picked up the top prize at the prestigious Weddings Online Awards Black Tie Awards at Clontarf Castle last night. Not only were they voted Best Exclusive Wedding Venue In Ireland but also won Overall Venue of the year, beating off stiff competition from over 600 finalists from across the country.  
Since its inauguration in 2008, this event has become a permanent fixture in the diaries of Ireland’s wedding industry professionals and brides and grooms-to-be alike. The weddingsonline Awards recognise the success, dedication and extremely high levels of quality and service given by the Irish wedding industry and is the awards benchmark for the industry – with the Kinsale spot taking the top accolade of the industry.
Family-run Ballinacurra House was the 1st property to feature on the Weddings Online website as a sole use private estate. Private rentals are now the fastest growing sector in the market, as an alternative to more traditional hotel offerings.
The awards involved an exhaustive vetting process with over 28,000 brides and grooms nationwide voting for the  Best Wedding Venues in a wide range of categories, who were then judged by a panel of expert industry specialists.
Judge Caoimh McRory said on the night
“As we were going through the finalist for Exclusive Venue of the Year, it was clear that Ballinacurra were also a contendor for the Overall Venue of the Year. The personality and genuine passion for the wedding industry came through, as well as the different approach that they take.”
The winning formula was based on quality of work, testimonials and a real wedding experience that stand out from the norm. Ballinacurrra House’s focus on total privacy mixed with the spectacular backdrop of Kinsale, unique product offering with themed styling, Michelin standard bespoke menus by award winning chef David Rice and personalised service that got the property the winners gong as overall winner,  facing off against the cream of Ireland’s talent.
“We are honoured of course to be recognised by our peers – given the quality of the Irish wedding business. There are other awards ceremonies but this is like the “Oscars” of the industry – being credible and recognised both in Ireland and abroad. We not only were recognised in our category – but crowned the best overall venue in the country as well,” said owner Des McGahan.
The Awards were held in the super stylish settings of Clontarf Castle, with host  for the evening Aoibhín Garrihy from "Love Hate", "Fair City" and "Dancing with the Stars”.
This prestigious award coincides with the country’s other top site – “One Fab Day” – also nominating Ballinacurra House as one of Ireland’s top 100 Wedding Venues – describing the venue as “an oasis of complete privacy, with each room individually designed and decorated in fantastical fashion with a surprise around every corner.

Pictured l-r: Jonathan Bryans (Commercial Director Weddingsonline.ie) Virgina Foley, Finn, Lisa and Des McGahan, Aoibhín Garrihy. Picture Credit: JDM Photography.ie