How I Met My Partner: Cork couple went from work colleagues to husband and wife

FINDING love was all in a day’s work for one Cork couple who went from colleagues to husband and wife after years of dating.

Kinsale milliner Tina Hemlock and Tom Coyne didn’t immediately click after encountering each other at work for the first time. 

Galway native Tom, who worked in retail at the time, found it difficult to acknowledge then-colleague Tina on his first day at work. What can now be put down to shyness may initially have been misconstrued.

“We met through work,” Tina told The Echo. 

“I had been working for the company for some time when Tom joined. It was his first day and I remember seeing him as I walked in. I said good morning as I passed and received no reply. 

"When I got to the office I remember asking the manager who this new guy was and how he needed to work on his social skills. We still laugh when I recount that conversation. 

"Little did I know he would end up being my husband.” 

It wasn’t long before Tina discovered the opposite was true and Tom was, in fact, deeply interested in her.

“Tom had asked me out several times but my answer was always no. We often laugh about it. Tom certainly got full marks for perseverance . 

"I had come out of a bad relationship and was very slow to entertain the idea of dating again. I remember having coffee with my mom and telling her about this guy at work who was particularly persistent. 

"Her advice was to meet him for a coffee and 'see how it goes'. I was in Dublin for two weeks working and on the way home Tom text one of a million messages asking for a date.” 

Tina, was prepared to take a chance on love.

“I replied, 'Okay let's do coffee'.

"The following week we met for coffee at The Imperial Hotel and that was, as Tom would say,  'the beginning of something special'.” 

The turning point came when the couple were travelling in New Zealand.

“The moment we both realised it would work was in New Zealand. We spent time travelling the South Island. So many things did not go as planned but we still laughed. One day stands out. We had hired a car to drive to the TranszAlpine train. 

The car was supposed to have snowchains in the boot. As we drove and weather got worse and we discovered in fact we had no snowchains. With a build-up of traffic a coach got stuck going uphill. It happened to be carrying a rugby team.

"As the team disembarked the coach our car began to slide, not back down the hill but sideways towards a ravine. For a split second we looked at each other and then saw the rugby team running and pushing the car back up. 

"To say we are both huge fans of New Zealand rugby is an understatement. We always said if we could laugh about that we would certainly handle anything else life threw at us."

Tina offered advice on what makes a relationship work.

“We champion each other. You need to remember what you fall in love in the beginning when life hits and it seems that all is lost.”

PROPOSAL

Meanwhile, Tom Coyne still fondly recalls the day he asked Tina to marry him.

“I still come out in a sweat when I think about asking Tina to marry me,” he said. 

“She had been very vocal about marriage not being on her radar but was happy to stay in a long-term relationship. I planned the proposal and asked her parents' permission although I could see in their eyes that they were worried about what the outcome would be. 

"I remember going to Hayfield Manor. We were having dinner. There was a couple next to us. I took a deep breath and thought okay let's do this. 

"Suddenly I look to my left and the guy sitting there has got down on one knee and proposed. My head was racing and then I heard Tina say 'That's lovely, but not for me'. The night was not going as planned. As it turns our she did say yes. I can recall her dad's reaction to the engagement when he said 'God Tom, we were both worried about you'."

The pair finally tied the knot in 2012.

“Tina picked the wedding date, July 4. She was still taking a stand on her independence. We had the most fantastic wedding day at Ballinacurra House, Kinsale. We had decided it would just be our closest and dearest which we always joke was 50 people including the priest.

"We danced all night into the early morning and are very honoured that anyone in attendance after 12 years would still say it was the best wedding they have ever been to.” 

The couple, who settled in Kinsale, went on to have two children together.

“We were so happy when our beautiful Lauren came into our lives,” Tina said.

“After a horrific hyperemesis gravidarum pregnancy, and 36 weeks of physical hell for me, Lauren was placed in my arms by the amazing Prof Louise Kenny. She has enriched our lives so much. 

"I remember my mom and dad coming into CUMH and holding her for the first time - a photograph that will be cherished for life.” 

The birth of their daughter Ria came with different, but equally difficult challenges.

“Almost five years later our wonderful and crazy Ria decided to catapult her way into our lives. Once again, a horrific pregnancy but she was delivered safely into my arms by Matt Hewitt and has been a whirlwind of energy since. 

"Unfortunately, with Ria being born in lockdown the hospital journey was extremely hard so we did not get those beautiful memories of grandparents coming to see her in the hospital. A huge amount of recovery was needed after both pregnancies but both girls certainly worth it.”