We first met at the University of Memphis in the Fall of 2010. Both the men’s and women’s soccer teams had to stay at the Holiday Inn on campus for preseason, and Liam showed up late from Ireland. I and a group of other soccer players were sitting in the hotel lobby, and up walks this Irish guy that no one can understand. This is the first time we met. Now fast forward one year of friendship, and Liam asked me out on our first date. Since Liam is from Ireland and didn’t have a car here in America, he asked me if he could borrow my car to take me out on a “proper” date. We both got dressed up, and Liam drove over to Stratum Apartment Complex to pick me up. He opened the door for me, and I asked where we were going. Liam said it was a surprise, and he had looked directions up ahead of time, so I couldn’t peak at his phone (he knew me too well). We started driving, and after about 10-15 minutes I noticed we were heading towards downtown Memphis on Poplar Rd. I didn’t say anything for a few minutes, but then I mentioned that I noticed we were going somewhere downtown. I could tell by Liam’s face that is not what he had planned. He tried to figure it out for a few minutes, but eventually he gave in and told me we were going to Houston’s Restaurant. I replied by telling him he made the wrong turn about 2 minutes after we left the house and we were on the opposite side of the town. Eventually we made it to Houston’s, but he made sure it was a first date we would never forget. In Liam’s defense, here’s his story about our first date in St. Louis.

Kelley had decided that she wanted to take us on a tour of the Anheuser Busch Brewery in St. Louis. The date was great! We got to see exactly how Budweiser was made from start to finish, and we even got to taste a few of their finest. We got to see the huge Clydesdale horses and the curious dalmatian dogs that were used to help transport the beer in the early days. The date was one to remember, and we had a great time. Everything was going well, up until we left. We were just about to leave the brewery when we realized that Kelley had locked the keys in the car, so the date lasted longer than we expected. An hour or so later Kelley’s Dad came to the rescue with the spare keys. A date to remember! 

The first date

The proposal

Liam and I went to Ireland this past summer to do some sightseeing around the country and spend time with his family and friends. One of my favorite places from my first trip to Ireland was the Beacon located on a cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean which we hit golf balls into last time. I asked Liam if we could do this again, so on my last day before I left to come home, we decided to go. Liam and his two brothers, Mark and Boba, and I drove out to the Beacon with a driver to hit some golf balls into the Atlantic. Little did I know that Liam had hidden the engagement ring in his driver cover. We got there, and we all start hitting the golf balls into the ocean and taking pictures. After about 10 minutes of me taking pictures to show his parents and my family at home, Liam says, “Come on, let’s go down the rocks where we took a picture last time you were here.” I head down the cliff, and he says to me, “Those lazy guys (his brothers) won’t even come down here.” Once again, little did I know that he told his brothers they better not follow us when he “made the move.” When we get down a little way, Liam sits down on a rock and motions for me to sit next to him. I sit down and when I turn to the left, he has a box out and opens it to a ring!!! My first reaction was, “Are you sure?” quickly followed with “YES.” This was by far the easiest yes I ever said. Liam has been my best friend for 7 years now, and I can’t wait to begin the rest of my life with him by my side.