In story-book fashion, 24-year-oId William T Morrissey, son of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Morrissey, 28 Monroe Street, Norwood, recently flew to Ireland to marry Dorothy O Brien, the girl of his dreams he fell in love with in less than three hours.
The romance began in October, 1953, when he and an Air Force chum, Ronnie O’Brien, hopped a service plane to Dublin on a 24-hour leave from their duty base in Germany.
When they arrived, Ronnie remembered that he had relatives in the town of Tullamore. On the spur of the moment, they hailed a taxi and wasted no time in getting to the town. Once there, they had no trouble in locating the home of Ronnie’s uncle Mr. and Mrs. John O’Brien of 124 O’Molly Street.
And there, as the Irish Free Press put it, a romance started that set Tullamore tingling Morrissey and Ronnie were only there but a matter of three hours and it was Bill’s first meeting with Dorothy Even though they had to leave right away that day, it did not take S Sgt. Morrissey’s mind off of the little Irish colleen.
Last summer on another leave, Bill flew to Ireland again to see pert Dorothy and by the time he was ready to depart, they were engaged.
Bill was then sent back to the States and discharged and one of the first duties he performed back here was to purchase the ring and send it to Dorothy.
Just recently, Bill, along with his father, hopped a plane to bring to a climax that three hour meeting that Bill and Dorothy had in 1953. The town of Tullamore classed it as “The wedding of the year”. And, to top it all off, Ronnie O’Brien, the guy who started it all, came from New York with his mother and aunt to attend the ceremony.
Now, both Bill and Dorothy are back in Norwood and they intend to make it a “story book” marriage —just the way it all started.
(All articles originally published in the Norwood Messenger)