Segrave Barns Wins Top Honour at Wedding Venue Awards 2026
Segrave Barns in County Louth has been named Best Exclusive Use Venue at the inaugural Wedding Venue Awards 2026, a major new awards event celebrating the best wedding venues across Ireland and Northern Ireland.
The sold-out awards ceremony took place in Kilkenny on March 23rd and brought together leading wedding venues and hospitality teams from across the island of Ireland.
Celebrating Ireland’s Top Wedding Venues
More than 20,000 weddings take place across Ireland every year, with wedding venues playing a central role in creating memorable experiences for couples and their families. The Wedding Venue Awards were created to recognise the venues and teams whose work helps shape these once-in-a-lifetime celebrations.
“We’re celebrating spaces where guests laugh at awkward best man speeches, shed a tear during father of the bride speeches, watch first dances with quiet emotion, and fill dancefloors when Rock the Boat inevitably plays.”
— Ciara Crossan, Wedding Dates
The awards highlight the diversity of wedding venues across Ireland, from castles and country houses to coastal locations and unique countryside settings, as well as a growing demand for sustainable and inclusive wedding experiences.
Winners were selected through a combination of public voting, expert judging, and testimonials from couples who celebrated their weddings at each venue.
“They are not just locations, but anchors for some of the most enduring and meaningful memories in people’s lives.”
— Ciara Crossan
The Story Behind Segrave Barns
Segrave House was purchased in 2009 by Eugene Ginty and John Cooke, who originally planned to pursue a quieter life in the countryside. However, a chance outdoor concert in 2010 featuring tenor Eugene and soprano Sally Ann Shepherdson changed everything.
Friends, neighbours and music lovers gathered for a magical evening of operatic favourites, Viennese classics, and songs from shows such as West Side Story and Phantom of the Opera. Despite poor weather, the event was a huge success and quickly grew in popularity.
By 2019, Segrave events were attracting crowds of up to 3,000 people, helping establish the venue as one of the most unique event and wedding locations in the region.
A Unique Wedding Experience in County Louth
Segrave Barns has built its reputation on offering couples a flexible, exclusive-use wedding experience, hosting a maximum of just two weddings per week. This allows couples to personalise their day, from décor and timings to food and entertainment.
The team pride themselves on saying “yes” to requests and work closely with couples to create a relaxed and memorable experience for everyone attending.
- “Best wedding ever, because it didn’t feel like a wedding!”
- “Fabulous day — it felt like a festival, a bit like Electric Picnic.”
A Major Win for Louth
Winning Best Exclusive Use Venue at the Wedding Venue Awards 2026 is a major achievement for Segrave Barns and highlights the quality of wedding venues in County Louth and the wider North East region.
The award also reinforces Louth’s growing reputation as a top wedding destination in Ireland, attracting couples from across the country and abroad.
