A love story for the ages

By Finnian Cox

Every milestone is deserving of celebration, something we do well in this country. However, the case of Billy and Maureen Lehane is an exceptional occasion, as they celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary.

On Saturday, 7 December, the Lehanes, aged 93 and 95, will mark their anniversary through a day of special celebration.

A special mass for the pair has been planned at Blackpool’s Church of the Annunciation at 4pm, the same church in which they were married in 1954.

The pair met in Blackpool and continued to live there and made close ties to the community. Mrs Lehane was involved in setting up the Blackpool Credit Union in the 1960s and continues to serve as its honorary president.

She also worked as a proud ‘Sunbeam Girl’ and was heavily involved in local community initiatives. Meanwhile, Mr Lehane devoted years to Delanys GAA Club in Dublin Hill, and worked with An Bord Gáis.

They won’t be the only returning members of the original wedding party as their bridesmaids, flower girls and more will be all joining them at the celebration to mark the date.

The occasion will be a family affair, with their relatives providing much of the entertainment. Their nephews, Sean Lehane and Johnny McCarthy will provide the music, joined by their granddaughters, Jennifer Jukes and Jane Streimikiene.

After the anniversary mass, the celebrations will move to Cork’s Collins Barracks, where the party will be greeted into the Officer’s Mess by their nephew and talented bagpiper, Billy Murphy.

70 is the magic number of the event, reflected in the 70 close family and friends that will be invited to the dinner, from both near and far.

The evening promises to be lively. Mr Lehane, a gifted musician and former pipe major of the St Nicholas Pipe Band, will be surrounded by a family peppered with musicians.

According to his family, Billy’s rich musical legacy—including piano, organ, accordion, and tin whistle—has been passed down through the generations.

The Lehanes raised four daughters together and are now kept incredibly busy by their 10 grandchildren and 28 great-grandchildren, who will join them for the celebration.

Their children describe the pair as not only an inspiration to their family, but also to the community which they had such an immeasurable impact on.