Life kept childhood sweethearts John Walsh and Ann McMahon apart for almost 40 years but they found each other again and got married last Valentine’s Day in Limerick.
Ann and John, who lived in England most of his life, met at a dance in Limerick back in 1968. Their lives went separate ways, they both got married, had families and never saw each other again.
When returning to Ireland, John never imagine he would meet Ann again but they did. They met by chance 36 years after that dance and rekindled the romance they had started in 1968.
“I was in the Crescent shopping centre and passing a jewellers called Chic. I just happened to look in and saw this woman. God I said to myself that’s Ann,” John said to the Irish Post.
“I went over to her and she knew me straight away. Memories of younger times came flooding back as we chatted away. There were a few tears. The old romance sparked again.”
Ann said: “I knew it was John. My knees nearly went from under me. I had kept an old photo taken of us in the Jetland that night in 1968 when we first met. The Miami Show band were playing that night. I have put the photo on our wedding invitation cards alongside a recent photo of the two of us.”
John and Ann married at the Limerick Registry Office on Valentine’s Day this year.
John who was a rally driver wants to take Ann on a motoring honeymoon to France.
(picture: Lilly O’Briens chocolates)
