Love in Ireland and the Time of Covid

Love in Ireland and in the time of Covid

PART 2

BY SANDRA BAHBAH

WHAT A WHIRLWIND. 2021 WAS ANYTHING BUT PREDICTABLE.

I flew into lockdown in Ireland to be with my partner and we weren’t allowed to dine indoors for eight months. Outdoor dining does not sit well with Ireland’s climate! This meant we spent a significant amount of time just the two of us at home. It definitely was a test for us and one we passed with flying colours. We got engaged and married this year. As anyone who has planned a wedding during a pandemic will tell you, flexibility and expecting the unexpected is the key. We decided we didn’t want a long engagement and booked to have our wedding in September, while the weather was still reasonably ok. As I’m a foreigner, there were extra hurdles to go through to get our marriage licence. The Health Service Executive (HSE) had also been hacked and the community services department was inundated with couples trying to reschedule their weddings, once more restrictions began to lift. Everything was down to the wire and we knew, even to the day of the wedding, anything could happen. Our biggest concern, some may say oddly, was not being able to have our first dance. It was only a week before our wedding that it was announced people could dance at ceremonies. We were overjoyed, having opted for a smaller wedding due to potential capacity limits and not having my family in attendance. We felt that a wedding with no dancing allowed would just ruin the atmosphere of the event. Our (small) big day came fast and despite some people commenting that it could rain, there was a slight sunny shower in the morning and then it was as sunny as a spring day in Perth when I arrived at the ceremony venue. Some remarked that I had brought a bit of the sun from Australia. It did feel like a miracle. We wanted to make our day as intimate and interactive as possible, so many of our guests had a role to play. Since my family couldn’t be there in person, we set up a live web feed so they could watch the ceremony and comment in real time. I highly recommend doing this as you get to read all the comments back the next day and some were truly hilarious. We went for a Celtic ceremony and handfasting ritual at Brigit’s Garden, surrounded by ancient stones, and a reception at The Boat Inn in Oughterard after. We couldn’t have asked for a better wedding even with all the Covid restrictions. The next day, we had a gathering at our house, with traditional Irish music, song and dance. I’d never experienced this before and it was a such a gorgeous continuation of the prior evening. After the wedding, we really wanted to go somewhere overseas for our honeymoon, but the risk of quarantining was just too great. Instead, we ventured to Kinsale. What an amazing decision it was. If you’ve never

Left: Sandra & Liam held a Celtic ceremony and handfasting ritual at Brigit’s Garden. Right: Congratulations to the happy couple!

been to Kinsale, it is an absolute must. Seafood is plentiful with exceptional restaurants, beautiful streets lined with colourful homes, a relaxed and welcoming community and a diverse mix of cultures. It was the perfect place for our ‘mini-moon’. If you are planning a wedding and then a move, I would advise against it, especially during a global pandemic. Since the beautiful trip to Kinsale, stress has been plentiful. As the rules kept changing for entry into Australia, our minds have been cluttered with confusion. We had a direct flight to Perth, until the flight caps were introduced and our flight was cancelled. The new plan is now to get as far as Singapore and then switch airlines and fly into Northern Territory. We will have to stay for 14 days before being allowed into Perth. Unfortunately, we were unable to secure another direct flight into Perth that wasn’t going to cost us a small fortune. We plan to have a very small party when we eventually make it back. After living with lockdowns this past year, being around crowds isn’t something we’re familiar or comfortable with anymore. A feeling of anxiety comes and goes at the idea of returning to Perth, where people don’t need to show Covid certs to dine indoors or wear masks everywhere they go. We are aware this may change, but we feel the people of WA have been blessed in comparison to Ireland and other areas of Europe. Face masks, social distancing and small gatherings are what we’re now used to. Getting a hug or a kiss on the cheek from someone I don’t live with is something I’ll never take for granted again. We’re so excited for the journey though, even with the mountain of hurdles that we need to jump in order to get back. It’s going to be really hard to leave my husband’s family. They have truly become my support system and family while I have been in Ireland. Not seeing them regularly is going to be a huge adjustment for me and of course for my husband. I will especially miss my mother-in-law and sister-in-law who got me through the sometimes lonely stints when my husband was working. For the first part of my life in Ireland, there was a 5km limit to where we could go, much of this time was spent interacting with my husband and these two family members. They kept me sane and I’ll be forever grateful to them for that. Ireland has been such a magical place for me to live, even with limitations in place. It will always be my second home, no matter where life takes us next. ☘

THE PERFECT AUSTRALIA DAY BBQ WITH CLONAKILTY

Available at European Foods