While not a drop of Irish blood in me, I seemed destined to become an “honorary” Irishman from the time I first grew up in an Irish neighborhood in the Bronx known as the “Ramparts” (Kingsbridge section).
I would meet the future love of my life, Mary Troy, who was working in a most famous place in the neighborhood, “The Riverdale Diner” in 1979.
We would first be married civility, in November, 1980
Then on April 20, 1981, be married near Mary’s home, outside of Birr, County Offaly, Ireland.
It was a “fairytale” romance, much like the movie “Brooklyn”, and still going strong as we approach our 45th wedding anniversary on April 20th.
So for the next few days, my last name gets and O’ added to it, and we start celebrating by going to our local St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Freehold, NJ. –
and finish up on Tuesday, at Mary’s favorite place to go, the Belmar Fishing Club, for a meal and maybe a pint or two!
I couldn’t end this without the final scene from the movie, “Brooklyn”, which brings such joy and emotional tears to me over my “Mary”!
