Taken from http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=476342 Wedding bells for Westlife pop star By Maureen Coleman mcoleman@belfasttelegraph.co.uk 27 December 2003 WESTLIFE'S Shane Filan will tomorrow break millions of teenage hearts by wedding long-term girlfriend Gillian Walsh. The Sligo heart-throb and his fiancee, a cousin of band member Kian Egan, are due to tie the knot at Ballintubber Abbey in Co Mayo. Relatives and close friends of the Sligo couple, including the rest of Westlife, are gathering at the Abbey for the ceremony. The reception is due to be held later tomorrow at the luxurious Ashford Castle in Mayo. Shane is the third member of the chart-topping boy band to get married. Several years ago Bryan McFadden wed Kerry Katona at Slane Castle while Nicky Bryne married Georgina Ahern, daughter of Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, in a lavish ceremony outside Paris this summer. Shane and Gillian opted for a private bash with only a handful of showbiz friends on the guest list. Unlike Nicky and Georgina, the couple also decided not to sell their pictures of their big day to Hello or OK, but to pose for the media outside the Abbey this afternoon. In the run-up to the wedding the pair booked a planner to help organise the event, although Shane admitted he was leaving much of the arrangements up to his girlfriend. The couple began dating several years ago but kept their relationship quiet for six months, while Gillian finished a degree. They both come from the same town and have known each other since they were 12 years old. In an interview last year, Shane said of Gillian: "She is the perfect package. She is totally right for me. I'd love to marry her someday. "I just fell in love with her. Every time I met her, I realised I felt so happy." Shane proposed to Gillian last Christmas, at the same time, unknowingly, as Nicky Byrne asked Georgina to be his wife. Taken from http://www.people.co.uk/homepage/news/page.cfm?objectid=13761293&method=thepeople_full&siteid=79490 WESTLIFE STAR WEDDING JOY WESTLIFE'S Shane Filan will marry his childhood sweetheart Gillian Walsh in a glitzy ceremony today. They will tie the knot at Ballintubber Abbey, Co Mayo, Ireland - where James Bond star Pierce Brosnan wed two years ago. Shane's bandmates will be among the few stars there. The 26-year-old wanted the event to be personal and rejected offers from celeb mags. Shop owner Gillian, 23, will wear a frock by Victoria Beckham's wedding dress designer Vera Wang. Taken from http://www.sligoweb.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=90&mode=&order=0&thold=0 WESTLIFE'S Shane Filan will tomorrow break millions of teenage hearts by wedding long-term girlfriend Gillian Walsh. The Sligo heart-throb and his fiancee, a cousin of band member Kian Egan, are due to tie the knot at Ballintubber Abbey in Co Mayo. Relatives and close friends of the Sligo couple, including the rest of Westlife, are gathering at the Abbey for the ceremony. The reception is due to be held later tomorrow at the luxurious Ashford Castle in Mayo. Shane is the third member of the chart-topping boy band to get married. Several years ago Bryan McFadden wed Kerry Katona at Slane Castle while Nicky Bryne married Georgina Ahern, daughter of Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, in a lavish ceremony outside Paris this summer. Shane and Gillian opted for a private bash with only a handful of showbiz friends on the guest list. Unlike Nicky and Georgina, the couple also decided not to sell their pictures of their big day to Hello or OK, but to pose for the media outside the Abbey this afternoon. In the run-up to the wedding the pair booked a planner to help organise the event, although Shane admitted he was leaving much of the arrangements up to his girlfriend. The couple began dating several years ago but kept their relationship quiet for six months, while Gillian finished a degree. They both come from the same town and have known each other since they were 12 years old. In an interview last year, Shane said of Gillian: "She is the perfect package. She is totally right for me. I'd love to marry her someday. "I just fell in love with her. Every time I met her, I realised I felt so happy." Shane proposed to Gillian last Christmas, at the same time, unknowingly, as Nicky Byrne asked Georgina to be his wife.