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An Irish Love letter

by on ‎03-12-2014 03:45 PM

Most people blogged about their love story on Valentine's Day, for us it's St. Patrick's day that is the perfect time for a love letter! Ireland brought my husband Sean and I together.  After coming back from a trip to Ireland with my Mom, my casual co worker friend, Sean Treacy, mentioned his cousin from Ireland was visiting and would I like to have lunch??  Not only did I say yes, I came home and told my Mom I was about to have lunch with my future husband, the cousin of my co-worker Sean. So I went to lunch and the cousin never showed up, four hours later I came home with stars in my eyes, four months later we were engaged!  We started planning the wedding and my Mom suggested that we give out Irish and American flags at the end of the nuptial Mass so we could show our heritage as Sean and I walked down the steps outside the Church. She remembered JFK's visit to Ireland in 1963 and how everyone waved Irish and American flags. Oh, and by the way, the cousin who never made it to the lunch was the best man at our wedding!!



So, our marriage began with a strong tie to Ireland, thanks to Sean's heritage (most of his family is in Ireland to this day) and my Mom's love of this country.  We were still newlyweds when QVC asked us to travel to Ireland for the first ever Irish show, four hours on a Saturday planned for March 17. So instead of a planned ski trip we headed over to Ireland, meeting for the first time, Irish guest Matt Doolan, and once again falling in love with this country. It was our first trip to Ireland together, and ended the jaunt with a stay in Dromoland Castle.



We got back to Ireland many years later, with a little Irish lass named Cara at age two. We stayed in Galway where Sean's parents owned a condo overlooking Galway Bay. We thought it was hilarious that Owen, his Dad, would convince some of his friends back in America that "on a clear day, you can see Boston Harbor!"  We thought it was an Owen Treacy original.  Delivered with his brogue and a twinkle in his eye, he actually had a few  people convinced it was true!  



Fast forward about 12 years later and we got back to the Old Sod, this time with Deirdre who was thrilled to see her name on many businesses in Ireland. And for the start of our trip we stayed in Dromoland, happy to be returning with our daughters so many years after our first visit.



One of our favorite Irish memories occurred here in the United States. We were lucky to visit the archives of the JKF library. It was a great honor to stand by President Kennedy's rocking chair. During the visit we thought about our parents and how much it would mean to them. Afterwards, we went to the JFK library, and were amazed to see there was an exhibit, for a limited time, about John Kennedy's trip to Ireland. We saw them waving flags just like my Mom told us, and saw a gift from the Gaelic Athletic Association that was based in Conemarra marble! Sean's Dad was the president of the GAA in America for many years. We were both overcome with emotion at the bond Ireland played in our lives and our love.


When Sean's birthday came around about a month later, I did a JKF in Ireland theme, with a book and a video.  We sat down to watch the video and there was a scene of President Kennedy addressing the adoring crowd and speaking of the link in his life between Ireland and the United States. He smiled, looked down and said, "You know, on a clear day you can see Boston Harbor!" We both were in tears, never knowing his Dad was quoting JFK, and knowing that this love was meant to be!


-Jane