Target engaged! Navy man pops question
ONE of the Naval Service personnel who helped rescue more than 600 refugees on board the LÉ Niamh proposed to his childhood sweetheart yesterday.
Jordan Culbert and Alison Parsons met as teenagers in their native Birr, Co. Offaly, more than ten years ago.
And yesterday, after the ship docked following its latest mission in the Mediterranean, he got down on bended knee... when she eventually arrived.
Although the ship had docked around 10.50am, Alison was not among the large group of well-wishers waving the crew back from the quayside at the Haulbowline Naval Base in Co. Cork.
But however anxious the 28-year-old was, nerves turned to smiles when he finally spotted Alison.
The 29-year-old nursing home care assistant arrived with her future fatherin-law Pachal, as well as the couple’s son Harrison, six, and three-year-old daughter Farrah. Jordan then went down on one knee, took Alison by the hand and asked her to marry him – and she quickly said yes.
Alison said it was the best Christmas present, and added: ‘I didn’t expect it, no, not at all.’
Jordan revealed he had decided during his time away to propose to Alison.
He added: ‘I told her I’d probably propose if she’d stop annoying me. I have had three months of peace and quiet whilst away so I said I better do it. It is the second time abroad for me and it was great, we had a great crew, lots of fun, but we worked hard’.
LÉ Niamh was the first Irish Naval Service ship to deploy to the EU Naval mission Operation Sophia in October.
In total the ship rescued 613 refugees: 358 men, 164 children and 91 women.