Happy Birthday Gerry !
Few of us thought it, but our very own Gerry Duffy turned the
clock on 40 years last Saturday. Having endured a stripper for his 30th
Birthday in The Fence, Gerry had been on a war footing for several years.
However, knowing his family, did he really think they would have left it go
unmarked, regardless of threats. True to form, Dor and Tom were hard at work in
the days leading up to the big day, rounding up guests and organising
‘surprises’.
In their clandestine plot, we in Bloomfield Hotel, before
travelling en mass to Mullingar Golf Club. As we awaited his arrival, the
throng hunkered don in ambush for its prey. Maybe Gerry thought that, like
himself on the Slieve Bloom, we were scrabbling round the floor looking for
lost fivers, but realisation quickly dawned. We have seen him redder in the
face, but only after an hour in the pool. After greeting his guests and
drinking his bear like a suckling calf and its bottle, Gerry thought the embarrassment
was over. But…ah, no. Still a bachelor boy his brother thought it was about
time he settled down. Queue, Fr Fagan, resplendant in ‘L’ plate priest garb.
Then it was time for the beautiful bride, Marabella, walked down the aisle to
the strains of ‘Here Comes The Bride’. Gerry was flummoxed by the site of his
beautiful, inflatable bride being escorted up the (bar) aisle by his proud
brother Tom. As they exchanged vows, Gerry seemed to glow with pride or maybe
it was all those beers, maybe it was the audience, maybe it was his blushing bride,
maybe it was his homicidal thoughts for Dor and Tom.
With the nuptials complete, revellers were free to enjoy the
rest of the night. Some of us retired early, so anything that happened later in
the night is information not available to this report, but no doubt most people
behaved themselves – Seamus were you behaved??
Everyone at MTC wishes Gerry a very happy birthday and all the
best for the next 40 years.