LADY ANA WYNDHAM QUIN and Duncan Johnson were married on June 12th in Holy Trinity Abbey in Adare, Co Limerick, by the Most Rev John Fleming, Bishop of Killala. There were 12 children in the bridal party, four of them nieces and nephews of the groom’s, the others second cousins or chosen among the bride’s 10 godchildren. Duncan’s seven-year-old son was ring-bearer. Her aunt on her father’s side had married in 1958 with 16 child attendants.
Ana is the only daughter of Lady and Lord Dunraven, who celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary this year; Lord Dunraven was president of the Irish Wheelchair Association for 25 years. Ana attended Holy Trinity Abbey in Adare until the age of 12 before going to Kylemore Abbey in Connemara and on to Woldingham School in Surrey. She works as a property developer. Her two matrons of honour were childhood friends Rachel Dick and Victoria Vaux.
Duncan grew up in Killinchy, Co Down, one of five children of Patrick and Gina Johnson. He attended St Columba’s School in Rathfarnham, Co Dublin, and is now a builder specialising in renovating old houses. His best men were Fred Hanna and Paddy Hall.
Ana says they met through mutual friends when they were 21 and simply became better friends as time went on. Duncan proposed to her on a beach in Kerry one evening. He lured her to the beach under the premise of going for a swim, but when they got there he produced a ring and a bottle of champagne from the bag of towels.
They married a year later to the day, with music from the original Riverdance troupe in the candlelit church as well as the Holy Trinity Abbey choir. Afterwards, guests repaired to Kilgobbin House, the family seat, where LPM Bohemia, known for its exotic tents, built a yurt big enough to accommodate just under 400 people who partied late into the night led by Hank Wedel of Open Kitchen and Ray Barron of Two Time Polka, plus a DJ. The couple left the party on the back of a tractor. The bride had, at that stage, changed from her Phillippa Lepley gown into a more casual dress, including white flip flops.
The next day there was a further family party for about 200 with the Hungry Grass Band, followed by a family lunch for 50 on Sunday. The couple then spent a fortnight in Bali before returning to their home in Westmeath.