A BIRMINGHAM Irish couple are celebrating their diamond wedding anniversary this week, 60 years after their eyes first met across a dancehall in their native Ballyshannon.
William John Gallinagh and his wife Sarah Jane, both in their early 80s, will be joined by 85 of their closest relatives and friends in the Midlands on March 28 as they toast to six decades of being happily married.
The party will take place at The Black Horse pub in Northfield, with family travelling from all over England. Mrs Gallinagh’s brother Brian Patton and his band The Wild Irish will provide the music for a fun-filled evening.
Jennifer Walker, one of the couple’s six children, who lives in Elgin, Scotland, with her husband and daughter, praised the family’s closeness as the key to the longevity of her parents’ marriage.
“We’re a very close family, it’s great,” she said. “My parents met at a dance in Cashelard, Ballyshannon, and it was love at first sight. They were together for four years before eventually getting engaged and then moved to Birmingham for work.”
The pair met in their early 20s in Co. Donegal before getting married at St Chad’s Cathedral, Birmingham on March 26, 1955, after moving to the city for work. Now, 60 years on, they also boast 11 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Mr Gallinagh spent 42 years with construction company Bryant’s, whilst Mrs Gallinagh was employed part-time for Cadbury’s, before taking up a role as a home carer until her retirement.
The weekend celebrations will present the couple with several surprises, including an anniversary card from the Queen, a letter from Taoiseach Enda Kenny and an apostolic blessing from Pope Francis.
See More: Birmingham, Diamond Wedding Anniversary, Donegal
