McCartney weds Mills in Ireland

Pop legend Paul McCartney wed former model Heather Mills at an Irish castle yesterday in a sumptuous affair that included fireworks, feasting, friends and celebrities.

Wedding bells pealed shortly after 5 p.m. (1600 GMT) signalling that the ex-Beatle and his bride had tied the knot.

Intermittent rain was the only negative factor as celebrities and family members gathered for the wedding in a lavish lakeside ceremony at 17th century Castle Leslie in the Irish border county of Monaghan.

The wedding ceremony itself took place at St Salvator's church, within the grounds of the 1,000-acre estate.

The band which has been touring with McCartney in the United States was due to play and there were rumours McCartney and Mills might well take a boat out on to the castle's private lake to view a mammoth fireworks display.

Women in Indian costume were seen heading to the castle grounds and were expected to dance or serve a vegetarian feast, which would be accompanied by crates of champagne and washed down with 150 kegs of Ireland's celebrated black Guinness stout.

Among the celebrities was former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, dressed in a frilly white shirt and jeans, who flew into Belfast airport and was chauffeured to the castle.

Chrissie Hynde of rock group the Pretenders, 1960s fashion icon Twiggy and former Beatles manager Sir George Martin were also among the 300 guests as were guitarist Eric Clapton and pop veteran Sir Elton John.

Despite the star-studded guest list, McCartney had stressed that the wedding would be first and foremost a family occasion.

The sleepy village of Glaslough, where Castle Leslie is located, has never seen anything like it, and activity had reached fever-pitch, with Ireland's World Cup victory against Saudi Arabia adding to the excitement.

"It's hectic - good for business, though," said food van owner Brendan McKenna, whose "Big Macca" burgers were selling for three euros ($2.84) each.

McCartney's spokesman Geoff Baker said it was possible that McCartney could take to the stage himself. "You never know. We've got Macca (McCartney), Ringo and guests like Pink Floyd guitarist Dave Gilmour - who knows what could happen," he said.

The evening was due to culminate in a fireworks display, which a team of experts flew in several days ago to set up. There were reports that the couple would then be whisked away by helicopter to a secret location to begin their honeymoon.

Estimates of the cost of the wedding range from 500,000 pounds ($735,000) to over one million, although with a personal fortune of more than 700 million, rock legend McCartney can certainly afford to pull out all the stops.

However, Baker stressed: "The theme is definitely relaxed and informal, this is not a glitzy event in that sense."

McCartney himself told reporters on Monday there would only be around a dozen people at the bash "that you would recognise".

McCartney's four children, including leading fashion designer Stella, arrived at the castle on Monday, scotching press rumours they had rejected their father's new partner.

Their mother, McCartney's first wife Linda, died of breast cancer in 1998. Members of Linda's family have flown in from the United States.

The ex-Beatle's brother Mike, best man at Paul's marriage to Linda in 1969, was repeating the honour.