February 29th is traditionally the one day a woman can propose to a man.
But have you ever heard of a woman getting down on one knee?
One Tipperary woman is going viral for embracing the leap year and popping the question to her partner.
Louise McGrath, from Carrick-on-Suir told Beat's Michelle about her last minute marriage proposal. "It was literally just yesterday evening, I was coming home from work and all my friends were like 'today's the day. If you don't do it today you're never going to do it because if he's any more laid back, he'd be on the floor.' "
Louise McGrath popped the question to her partner, John Finn on February 29th
Louise (31) has been with her partner, John Finn, for 16 years. The couple have two boys, Alfie (9) and Harri (7) as well as a new home in Castle Park. After returning home from Canada and starting a family, it's long been clear that the couple are committed to each other. Marriage had been discussed before, but neither had ever said those four big words.
"I was like right, it's now or never," Louise told Michelle on Bring the Beat. "I pulled into the jewellers and I said, 'oh here look, if she doesn't have anything that's suitable, it's just not meant to be. When I went in, I panicked and said 'My uncle needs a temporary wedding band, he's after losing his one and his wife is going to go mad. Sure she was having none of it. She knew full well!'"
Before popping the question Louise decided to look to her partner's best friend, Mark, for advice. "I rang Mark, one of John's goods friends, because I knew he'd hype me up. He was like 'your number coming up on a day like today on my phone can only mean one thing! Do you have the ring?!'"
Louise told her sons about her plan and both offered immediately to help their mother. "We went down to the house and the two boys were whispering. Alfie said he would record it and Harri said he would hold the ring. He(John) came in , he was in his work clothes. I started crying and I was laughing at the same time, I couldn't even get the words out. He thought I was only messing. Then I said to Harry, 'oh Harry can I have the ring?' And then his face hit the floor."
And the response?
"Oh gowan sure." Louise told Beat her partner was as relaxed as ever about the proposal. "He didn't even say yeah, he said 'oh gowan sure!'"
Recently engaged or planning a wedding? Check out Beat's Wedding Day, returning to the Hub Kilkenny Sunday March 3rd.
