Toasting 60 years!
EIGHTY-THREE-year-old Kathleen McAnenay (nee Quinn) and 84-year-old James McAnenay celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary recently in Glasgow but their love first blossomed in the heart of Rathnew village.
In the summer of 1952, James was holidaying with his family in Wicklow and the clan used to take regular trips to Rathnew. Kathleen was already working over in London at the time but had some time off and decided to return to her native Rathnew for a little holiday.
After meeting, they continued to keep in touch between Glasgow and London by constant correspondence through letters.
They got engaged in Glasgow in 1955 and were married a year later in Bow, London, at Our Lady and St Catherine’s Church, with their reception taking place in the Seven Stars.
They enjoyed their honeymoon back in Rathnew before settling down in Pollock, Glasgow.
They had three daughters – Kathleen, Jacqueline and Maureen – while James worked in Clyde as a Marine Engineer. He was also a very talented junior football and played with Larkhall Thistle, also gaining three junior caps for Scotland.
Pressed Steel had a big recruitment drive and this brought the family to Foxbar, Paisley.
Kathleen worked in Ferguson Mills and later as a Home Help for the Council, with James working for the Cooperative Funeral Parlour in Clydebank.