Traveller teen marries own cousin in huge wedding with 73 best men and entire town invited
Chantelle Kielly, 18, married her cousin Jim in Rathkeale, Ireland, during wedding season in 2021 - and the whole thing was caught on TV cameras
An Irish Traveller teen married her cousin in a lavish bash - with the entire town invited.
Chantelle Kielly married her cousin Jim in Rathkeale during the 2021 wedding season.
Hundreds were invited to the extravagant event which saw an astounding 73 best men and seven bridesmaids.
The bride's family paid a dowry between €50,000 and €120,000 to the groom's family to secure the marriage.
Despite raising eyebrows, marrying a cousin is perfectly legal in Ireland and quite common within Traveller communities, Irish Mirror reports.
The couple's lavish wedding was featured on Channel 4's My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding in Spring 2022.
Chantelle's dress was adorned with 20,000 crystals and they had a custom-made Barbie cake.
Dressmaker Thelma Madine, who often appears on My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding, said: "They are really nice people, the girls are very respectable.
"We always say the Irish travellers are like going back 50 years but the Rathkeale girls are like going back 100 years.
"They're all family and I think that's how they keep the wealth in Rathkeale because they just don't let it go out."
