Crumlin man brings his American wife back to Northern Ireland to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary

Syd is planning to bring Liz back to Northern Ireland, where the couple first met 51 years ago, to celebrate their anniversary, but the trip will full of surprises for his beloved wife.

"On Saturday July 8, 1972, I met my wife to be in one of the worst years in Northern Ireland, but it became much better when I met her,” said Syd.

“One of our first dates was on Bloody Friday, July 21, 1972 when we saw the bombs going off from my sister’s flat on the Donegall Road, where she was a children’s nurse in the Royal Victoria Hospital.

"It was in the Cornmarket, Belfast where I met my wife to be and next month on Saturday, August 19, I am planning to take her back there hopefully with a few surprises.

"Our daughter’s family is also coming and most of them have never been in Northern Ireland so that is going to be fun.”

Liz was 18 when 25-year-old Syd first met her when she was singing outside Belfast City Hall.

"She took her first flight from America into Belfast during one of the worst years of the Troubles,” continued Syd.

"Our first date was on July 21. I saw her singing in Cornmarket. I went to get some shopping because I had to get a bus home to Crumlin before nightfall. When I came back she was gone so I asked the soldier standing by with a gun where she’d gone. He pointed up Castle Lane, so I ran up the street and found her on Donegal Place towards the City Hall.

"I didn’t want to rush things but she was going back to America in a few weeks so I asked her to marry me five times before she agreed.”

The couple got married in Ohio on August 18, 1973 and have two children Joshua and Rachel.

"Fifty years later we are celebrating our golden wedding anniversary with our children and six grandchildren and hoping that any family around the area will come to the Cornmarket on August 19 at noon,” added Syd.