WHEN a London-based couple sent a message in a bottle from Clontarf more than three years ago, it was cast away without a second thought, until now that is.
That’s when Dubliner Mark McGowan and his wife Clare, who were walking along the promenade of the Irish coastal village, spotted the plastic bottle, believed to have washed ashore after the recent stormy weather.
Inside the container was a note, co-written by Karl Duffy and Isobel Doherty, which outlined their plans and resolutions for 2011.
Among the promises were Karl’s wish to ‘work harder, get an outstanding grade’; ‘eat healthier, learn how to cook more’ while Isobel wanted to ‘remember family birthdays’; ‘call Dublin more’ and ‘save’.
Now The Irish Post has tracked down the pair who are both still living in London — and have just got engaged.
So who came up with the idea to write the message?
“It was me,” said Karl, 30, who is a co-founder and vice chair of the London Irish Business Society. “But we both had the idea that it would be fun to write down some New Year’s resolutions and rather than throw them in the bin we threw them in the water.”
The discovery of the couple’s bottle made national news in Ireland — something they found out only after returning to the English capital from Dublin a fortnight ago.
The couple's resolutions“I was getting loads of emails on Facebook and friends were asking ‘is this you?’ I just assumed it was spam,” said Isobel, 25. “Then people started posting things on my wall saying ‘this has to be you and Carl’.
"As soon as I read the article, I knew it was us because I actually had a copy of the original paper. I actually though it was a bio-degradable bottle and that we’d never see it again.”
But did the pair, who met in college seven years ago, stick to the New Year’s resolutions?
“I bet I didn’t,” said Karl, who is a director for BT. “I may have been to the gym more, but ate worse as a result because I felt I’d done a workout. That one I failed on.”
And what of Isobel’s promise to ring home more? “Well, my mum was calling me out on that one,” she joked. “I definitely called home more though. But I still don’t save. I don’t think anyone in London does though.”
What of the mysterious looking ‘S.G’ entry?
“We were half thinking of moving to Singapore if things weren’t working out in London,” revealed Isobel who had also promised to get better at cooking.
“You should probably be asking me that question,” joked Karl when asked if she had. “No, she’s an incredible cook; I’m very lucky — blessed really.”
The young couple became engaged over Christmas in Dublin, so are wedding bells part of this year’s wishes?
“Potentially this year but probably next,” said Isobel.
“That’s a potent question,” laughed Karl, adding that they had also made some new resolutions for 2014. “Both of us are thinking ‘I wonder if there’s an opportunity to save a little more together now that we are engaged.’ Also, to keep fit, travel a bit more. We try to go to one new place every year so we’re going to keep doing that again.”
