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IT’S CHRISTMAS, WHICH for lots of us means spending lots of time with our families, digging up old stories and forensically analysing them down to the last misremembered detail.
One of the stories that never gets old is how your parents got together. Was it romantic? Sweet? Awkward? So filthy that they’ve ever really explained to you what happened for fear of permanently scarring you?
We thought we’d throw this open to you all to contribute your stories – but being the kindly folk that we are here at TheJournal.ie, some of us have bravely shared the dirt about our own parents.
Some of them are sweet, some of them are random, and some make no sense at all as the bedrock of a long-lasting relationship, frankly.
It’s the little things…
My parents met in a dance hall at 15. Mam was there with her best friend and she said there was never any booze at these things – all you could buy was Club Milks and fizzy orange. My dad came and asked her to dance and she said she was well impressed with him because he bought her AND her friend Club Milks and fizzy orange. They got married five years later and have been together ever since :)
My mum said she fancied my dad’s cousin, who she hung out with. She got to know my dad through him as they used to hang out in Scotts pub in Dun Laoghaire. One night it was pretty packed, and my dad stood on her toe. She said there was something about him, as he said to her ‘pardon me, I’m very sorry’. They went out for five years before getting married as my granny wouldn’t let her get engaged at 21.On a side note, don’t get the impression my dad is overly romantic. The way he asked her to marry him: Over a pint he said, “So, we’ve been going out about five years now. I think we’ll get married and get a house.” (drinks pint) Mum: “Okay”
The romantic ones
My parents met at a dance in at the Finner Camp army barracks just outside Ballyshannon. Dad was a solider and posted there because of the Troubles and mam was from just over the border in Fermanagh. She says there was another girl with her eye on him when they first met but that he only had eyes for her.
Mam and Dad worked in the same building in CIE. She knew about him cos his wife had died and he was left with three kids all under 11, and she felt really sorry for him. She used to see him on her bus home from work. One day, he came over to her on the bus and said ‘Are you going my way?’. The way she tells it, that was the moment she knew.
The more random ones
My parents met on a town planning/urban design course and actually I have no further details other than that, except that my dad got my mam a teddy of Dougal off the Magic Roundabout as an engagement present. (???)
I don’t remember the exact details of how/when they met, but I know my dad wooed my mum in the early days by taking her to dances all the time. To help with the mental picture, she had a mini ‘fro back then and the old man had Buddy Holly-style black-rimmed glasses. I know about the dances because to this day my mum (who’s still married to the bloke after 30-odd years) complains that as soon as they tied the knot he hung up his dance shoes and hasn’t put them back on since.
The slightly disturbing one
My parents met at a disco after my mam got in a row with another girl who was eyeing up my dad. That woman married my uncle (my dad’s brother). Awkward. (I just found this out today and am braced for the family appearance on Jeremy Kyle.)
Ok, that’s us. Over to you. How did your parents get together? Dish.
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I would say the most common answer will be ‘at a dance!’
My parents met at a dance. My mom said she was attracted to my dad because he looked like Gene Pitney, my dad said he was attracted to my mom when he found out she didn’t drink so he knew she’d be a cheap date!
Tinder
Mom went to the Enchantment under the sea dance with the new guy in town that her father ran over. But my father,who was very shy, tried to ask her himself but it wasn’t happening,until he saw the school bully getting all aggressive on my mother. One punch and he knocked him to the ground. And so my mother went to the dance with my father instead.
Great Scott !
My mother picked my fathers keys out of the bowl or so they say, I’m sceptical enough though coz my father definitely isn’t the romantic type.
Cousin?
My aunt did the same thing, divorced her husband and married the owner of the keys. It was common knowledge they they were swingers.
Though I have no idea where my parents met, dad was an acquaintance of moms husband and while her husband was in prison they became friends. She divorced her husband, it was a very amicable break up.
They lived on the same road but never met until the day my dad knocked my mam down with his bike and the rest was history.they were married for over 40 years when my dad passed away.
Club Crystal, Main Street, Kiltimagh, Co. Mayo 1974.
My folks met at a dance in the Garda Rowing club Chapelizod on an icy winters night. Him and his friend drove my mam and her friend home, he asked for her number but with no pen handy he scraped it into the ice on the car. Mam thought she’d gotten away with it but Dad was smitten and took the number down as soon as he got home! Still smitten 34 years later :-)
My parents met at mass. Apparently much planning went into seating arrangements so they could sit near enough each to shake hands at the sign of peace. My dad asked her on a date to play squash-it was acceptable in the 80s. :)
My parents are from the same street. So I never asked them. Always felt it would be a stupid question. Maybe there’s some juicy, interesting car-chase story in there, so maybe I should ask. But it’s small-town West Cork. Who am I kidding? :)
Met at Dance > Ride > Pregnant > Married
All young ones think that nobody ever fell in love before them…
My father was a Garda, and my mother was a secretary. They met when Dad called into the office where Mom worked to issue a summons for after-hours drinking on her boss.
I’d rather not know to be honest
My dad saw my mum pass by on the school bus. His friend saw my mum and said “have a look at your one there in the blue dress”. When my dad saw her he smacked his mate and said “she’s mine”. Problem was she didn’t want anything to do with him, luckily for my dad though his other friend was dating my mothers older sister and when they work dinner dance came around my dad convinced his friend to take him as his +1 and my aunt brought my mother. So then she ended up stuck with my dad for the night and he managed to charm her into a date. The rest is history, 40 years married now and happy as ever.
My parents met at an Old Wesley dance. On their first date he met her at the Adelaide hospital and asked for Nurse Weir. He was told “We don’t have a Nurse Weir …. we do have a Doctor Weir”.
Mind you she came downstairs to find him talking to her boss, who turned out to be my Nana’s cousin.
My parents meet at a dance… Surprise surprise..her friend had a car and offered him a lift home when she shared her chips he knew they were meant to be together ..
My patents met in Fort William in Scotland. He was in the RAF and she worked in the NAAFI on the base. She had gone there to work from Athy with her best friend I’m 1952. My father had been conscripted into the RAF and was from Inverurie in Aberdeenshire. I have a strong suspicion my life began there. I love hill and mountain walking and my favourite place to base myself in the Scottish highlands is Fort William.
My dad broke my mams toe by dropping a computer on it when they worked in the same office.
My parents met 44 years ago when my Mum was 18. She was hitch hiking for a lift down the country and my Dad picked her up.
They met in the top hat in dun laoire and on there first date me da sent his mate to say he was sick n then me ma seen him on a bus going to a football match.
My mother worked in the Irish Sweepstakes in Ballsbridge but worked Saturdays as a cashier in a cafe in O’Connell Street.my dad went there most Saturdays and thats where they first met.They were married for 39 years till my mum died.
Gus my nanny worked in the Irish sweepstakes also,wonder did they know each other!
Mine parents met in the gresham dance hall holloway road both from cork !! Xx
My parents met – wait for it… at a dance! He immediately liked her and later that night asked if he could drive her home. Would have been more romantic if he was the one driving and not his friend!
But something worked!
Knew each other from work for a few years but when my mom showed up at the Christmas party after losing twenty pounds my dad was suddenly all over her, as she puts it, “like white on rice”
Got her up the stick
The Catholic Church’s view on contraception I’d say.
My father was friend in college with my mam’s cousin. They all have friends in common but my mam and dad had never met. My dad and mam’s cousin made a party with college friends in my mam’s grandfather summer house behind their back. When news came about the mess the lads had made the next day my mam got asked by her grandparents (who were blind) to go with them and describe who was there and what was the level of damage. My mam open the door and said everybody names… everybody but my dad coz she didnt knew his name. My dad was so thankful coz all the rest of the lads had gotten into big troubles he ask her out to a dance as a thank you. My mam said no. My dad insisted in ask her for a date. She eventually said yes but only to walk in the park at midday before siesta. My dad was 23 and my mam was 17. They’ve been together ever since.
My dad was in army flew in to visit home saw my mom and deserted lol
My parents had a fairly run of the mill met-at-a-wedding meeting, my grandfather was matched with my grandaunt but ran off with my gran!
On a very drunken New Year’s Eve. It’s all a bit blurred.
Wish I had a good story to share. Lovely reading the peoples stories tho :)
They met 1957 banba dance hall Kilburn and were married for 49 years and 359 days
Yeah, mine meet at a dance too. No surprise there! Anything other than a dance must have been considered controversial back in the 70s!
Journal are testing how dumb and soft the nation has become! Who the hell cares! I cannot believe some people think the rest of the nation would like to know how their parents met!
How many fingers am i holding up??
Did cupid thump you rather than shoot the arrow at you.
Well I have enjoyed reading the comments Mister Tractor apart from yours of course.
How many fingers am I holding up? Just one, the middle one.
32 yrs ago today at a friends xmas party
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