WOMEN WHO BROKE TRADITION & Lovers Leap ASKED THEIR MAN TO MARRY THEM
WOMEN are ditching the leap year tradition and increasingly taking the lead when it comes to marriage proposals, new research shows. As February 29 approaches
SIOBHAN O’CONNOR
talks to three women who popped the question about their experience...
AMY HUGHES & TONY MCDONNELL
GRAPHIC designer Amy Hughes, 31, proposed to her fiance Tony Mcdonnell, 29, in March 2020 – a week before the first Covid lockdown.
The pair moved back to Wexford from Sydney, Australia just before their first baby, Ada, was born.
Last year they welcomed their second daughter Molly.
Amy told us: “I always told T I wasn’t interested in marriage and that it wasn’t important.
“Four years ago I was in work and read somewhere about it being leap year.
“I texted my friend and asked her if I’d be crazy to ask T to marry me and she said, ‘sure why not’.
“That night we were in bed and I asked him what does he think of women proposing to men. He said, ‘why not?’”
In another twist on tradition Amy asked Tony’s mother Lyla Mcdonnell for permission to wed her son.
“She just laughed, she was delighted,” said Amy.
Amy did the whole down on one knee thing while the couple were on a hiking trip in the Blue Mountains on February 29.
Pretending it was a selfie moment she asked someone to video the event, recalling how her “heart was pounding” as she asked Tony what day it was.
“He was like ‘is it your birthday?’ I said, ‘it’s a leap year, do you know what women do on the leap year?’
“He said no and was oblivious and even when I told him some women proposed he was still posing for his picture.
“In his head it wasn’t clicking. Then I got down on one knee as I just panicked. He was laughing and said ‘yes’ and then I was laughing.”
The pair are planning to tie the knot in November 2024 with an intimate ceremony and a celebration at Tulfarris in Amy’s native Co Wicklow. Amy said: “I would encourage girls if they want to propose just do it, not just in leap year.
“I have so many friends who are waiting for their partners to propose and I say ‘why are you waiting?’.
“If you want to marry them, ask them.”
I’ve so many friends who are waiting for their partners to propose
ANGELA & DAMIAN CLARKE
FLORIST Angela Clarke, from Coolock in Dublin, admitted she kissed “a fair few frogs” before she found her prince.
The 50-year-old proposed to her postman hubby Damian, 52, on February 29, 2020, which also happens to be his birthday.
Angela told us: “I booked a holiday for his birthday, we were in Lanzarote.
“We were lying at the pool and he
looked at me and I said, ‘Will you marry me?’ He said, ‘are you serious?’ and I said ‘yeah’ – and then he said ‘yeah’ and that was it. It wasn’t the most romantic proposal, it was as if I was asking him did he want a cup of tea.”
The couple had to wait eight months to get an engagement ring, because Ireland went into Covid lockdown days after the proposal.
Angela revealed: “The gas thing is in Lanzarote I went into one of the Chinese shops and bought a big fake
diamond ring for €5. “Everyone was going ‘it’s gorgeous’ and I was like ‘yeah right’.”
She added: “We were late developers, I was 46 at the time and Damian was 47.
“He said he was going to propose to me, I was like, ‘when, when I’m 106?’.
“He’s so laid back so I took the bull by the horns and did it myself.
“We met at the All-ireland final. I went into the chipper – we fell in love over salt and vinegar chips.
“By the second date I knew he was the one, he was such a kind, gentle person. I had a lot of frogs before my prince arrived, 48 getting married, that will tell you.
“I never did think I would get married, I thought it’s not for me.”
The couple returned to Lanzarote in September 2022 to get hitched.
Angela said: “The flip then is that he organised the wedding.
“I picked my dress but he did everything else with a wedding planner over there.”
She concluded: “I think there’s a big cliche about the woman wanting to be asked... I wasn’t getting any younger.
“It was the best thing I ever did, I’d advise any girl to do it.”
SHONA & ALEX
CONSULTANT Shona, 32, from Dundrum in South Dublin decided she wasn’t going to hang around for a leap year to pop the question.
She proposed to her architect boyfriend Alex, 33, from Leixlip, Co Kildare, in August 2022 and they are due to wed in June of this year.
Shona revealed: “I did it at home, in our apartment.
“We’re both pretty private, and would have hated a proposal anywhere public, and I had a lot of it set up as a surprise.
“I took the day off and baked loads
It was the best thing I
I was really nervous. I had loads of decorations and the ring I had to hide
of cakes and did the whole set up, a bubble machine and photos and cakes everywhere, and our song playing when he came in the door.
“I was really nervous. I had loads of decorations and the ring that I had to hide from him – which is difficult in a one-bedroom apartment.
“Then on the day itself, the bubble machine broke and the macarons weren’t working for me, so I got pretty stressed out by all of that.
“My sister looked up the manual for the bubble machine and told me how to fix it, and called me when everything was set up to help calm me down. I wasn’t worried about him saying no, but I knew he also wanted to be the one to propose so I was hoping he’d be happy that I beat him to it!”
Shona recalls how Alex “barely let me get the question out before saying yes” – and then proposed back to her two months later.
She said: “It was something we had discussed previously, and we knew that both of us wanted to propose.
“We really liked the idea of the double proposal – both of us actively choosing to marry each other and starting the marriage as equal partners.”
Urging more women to take the lead, Shona concluded: “My Granny proposed to my Papa, so it was always something that I knew was possible.
“I’m quite a proactive person generally, and if I decide I want to go for something I go for it!
“I really enjoyed seeing his reaction... it also just feels empowering to choose your own path rather than waiting for someone else to propose.”