Shane Filan has celebrated an “incredible” 20 years of marriage to his wife Gillian.
The Westlife star and Gillian, both 44, returned to the place where they tied the knot two decades ago: the sprawling Ashford Castle in County Mayo, Ireland.
Singer Shane and his partner Gillian enjoyed an “unforgettable few days” at the property and gave fans a glimpse into their romantic trip.
In a picture shared on Instagram on Friday, Shane looked handsome in a chic black shirt and matching trousers, which he teamed with a white jacket.
He was seen putting his arm around Gillian, who looked glamorous in a black sequined dress with a thigh-high slit.
Shane Filan has celebrated an “incredible” 20 years of marriage to his wife Gillian, with Westlife paying tribute to his partner on Instagram on Friday
Shane and Gillian, both 44, returned to the place where they said “I do” two decades ago: the sprawling Ashford Castle in County Mayo, Ireland
In a heartfelt message, Shane captioned his post: “What an incredible 20 years of marriage to this lady @gillianfilansligo and an unforgettable few days back in @ashfordcastle to celebrate.”
In another picture, they were seen in more casual clothing as they stood in an entrance to the castle with some extravagant Christmas decorations hanging on the door.
In a heartfelt message, Shane captioned his post: “What an incredible 20 years of marriage to this lady @gillianfilansligo and a few unforgettable days back in @ashfordcastle to celebrate. “I'm a lucky man!”
While Gillian wrote: “Magical memories at @ashfordcastle for our 20th wedding anniversary ❤️ It was the best days – relaxing and reminiscing on our special day there 12/28/03.”
Shane and his childhood sweetheart Gillian married in 2003 and have three children together – 17-year-old daughter Nicole and sons Patrick (14) and Shane (13).
While the couple looked happy as they celebrated their anniversary, their time together was not without its difficulties – in 2018 it was reported that Gillian was declared bankrupt six years after Shane's own financial collapse left him £20million in debt.
Court documents obtained by the Daily Mirror at the time showed that Gillian was declared bankrupt by the High Court on July 23 over joint loans she shared with her husband.
Shane found himself in similar financial difficulties in 2012 after his company with his brother Finbarr, Shafin Developments, went bust after borrowing millions from Bank of Ireland and Ulster Bank.
According to The Irish Independent, the bankruptcy is believed to be due to mortgage debts Gillian and Shane had with Ulster Bank, estimated to be worth over €4 million, or around £3.5 million.
In one picture, the couple was seen in more casual clothing as they stood in an entrance to the castle with some extravagant Christmas decorations hanging on the door
Shane and his childhood sweetheart Gillian married in 2003 (pictured) and have three children together – 17-year-old daughter Nicole and sons Patrick (14) and Shane (13).
During the economic boom, Shane and his brother borrowed millions from Irish banks to build a 90-person housing estate, as well as a care home and supermarket, in Dromahair, Co Leitrim – close to Shane's home in Sligo.
These plans were scrapped when the company went bust and Shane filed for bankruptcy in Kingston County Court.
After moving to Surrey, Shane and his wife Gillian were forced to sell their Sligo home, valued at €10 million during the financial boom, for €800,000 in 2014.
Shane, who sold more than 10 million records as part of Irish boy band Westlife, has since spoken openly about his financial struggles. In his 2014 biography My Side Of Life, he wrote: “My whole life flashed before my eyes.” It felt as if someone had died. Everything was gone – my home, the cars, all our money. I sobbed inconsolably. That was the bottom of the barrel.'
Gillian wrote of her stay at Ashford Castle: “Magical memories of our 20th wedding anniversary at @ashfordcastle ❤️ They were the most wonderful days.”