Family Fortunes: A shock proposal from a confirmed bachelor

In August 1948, my father, Tom Bruton, was a 40-year-old bachelor living with his sister, Gladys, on the family farm at Dale View, Palmerstown, Co Dublin. My mother, Eileen Considine, was a 44-year-old nurse working in England. She was originally from Rathangan, Co Kildare, but she trained in Leeds Infirmary and later was a theatre sister at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London.

In 1944 Tom’s brother Des married Eileen’s sister Tess.

Eileen came home to Ireland for holidays each summer and would have met Tom occasionally during that time. Every August, Des and Tess rented a cottage, Airfield, on the farm belonging to Mrs Gorman, up a lane opposite Greystones station.

In 1948 Eileen was spending her usual holiday at Airfield. One Sunday Tom came for the day on the train. In the evening, Eileen walked with Tom to the station. Just before he got on the train, he turned to her and proposed. She accepted, and Tom got on the train. Eileen returned to the cottage to tell Tess, who was astonished and advised her to “sit down and have a cup of tea”. I should explain that Dad was considered a confirmed bachelor.

Eileen and Tom married on October 25th, 1948, in Star of the Sea Church in Sandymount, followed by a reception in the Salthill Hotel in Dún Laoghaire. They honeymooned in London, where Mum introduced Dad to her friends, as few of them had met him during their very brief courtship. I arrived on October 29th, 1949, to the surprise of many. One aunt, Jules, was seen counting the months on her fingers.

They had a very happy and close marriage at Dale View. They had shared interests in theatre, opera and concerts. Every Thursday they went into Dublin. Mum went shopping while Dad banked in the Royal Bank, Arran Quay. Afterwards they would meet and go to the cinema.

Dad disliked holidays, so Des and Tess kindly included Mum and me in their holiday plans with their children, Jane, Mary and Richard, in Greystones and later in Dooks, near Glenbeigh, Co Kerry.

Mum died on September 15th, 1984, and Dad died on August 24th, 1985. We would love to receive your family memories, anecdotes, traditions, mishaps and triumphs.

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