Going on a first date is always going to be nerve-wracking and for broadcasting legend, Mary Kennedy it was no different when she set up with her current partner Tom.
The former Nationwide presenter agreed to go on a blind date four years ago – oblivious of what was to come – but it’s safe to say it paid off!
Now, she’s sharing how she really felt before seeing Tom for the first time after being introduced by mutual friend, author Debbie Deegan.
“We went for lunch on a blind date,” Mary told the RTE Guide.
“It took a lot of courage, and I was absolutely petrified. That day I drove down from RTE to lunch, I was shaking the whole morning in advance.”
“But you have to take a chance, you have to be courageous,” she continued.
“I would always say to people as they get older to never lose the courage, the energy, that pushes you forward, even if it does terrify you and requires that extra push.”
Four years on and the pair couldn’t be happier together, with an array of shared interests to keep them busy.
“We are the same age and we both like to hike and to travel and have just come back from a trip to Portugal,” Mary added.
The mother of four is currently presenting a new TG4 documentary Fad Saoil (Long Life) but has previously spoken out about not wanting to work full-time anymore.
Telling TVNow Magazine in a recent interview: “I’m at a stage now where I don’t want to be working full-time.”
“I genuinely do not want to get to the end of my life where I’m wishing that I had been there for an occasion or event but couldn’t because I was working.”
