PICS: Fairytale proposal for top Irish illustrator Will Sliney
Irish illustrator Will Sliney popped the question in a unique way after throwing a surprise birthday party for his girlfriend, Laura O’Callaghan, in Preachers Bar in Cork City on Saturday.
He illustrated his love for her by drawing and writing a series of Disney-inspired cartoons which charted their boy-meets-girl story so far.
Will said he projected the images one by one onto the pub’s big screen, and, as family and friends looked on, he got Laura to read the rhyming story aloud.
It recalled Will’s love of art, Laura’s love of music, the first time he saw her, their adventures and holidays together, and it even includes their strolls along Ballycotton cliff walk.
It soon became clear that this story was going somewhere special. It finished with Will dropping on one knee, and popping the big question. Stunned Laura said yes.
And, like all Disney fairy tales, it looks like they’re going to live happily ever after.
The 32-year-old Ballycotton-based illustrator, who also works with Everton football club, said he was delighted it all worked out.
“There are so many people to thank for helping me set this up as this plan has been in the works for quite a while but right now I just want to thank Laura for saying yes,” he said.
Laura, from Carrigaline, is a music teacher in the Ursulines secondary school in Blackrock and was celebrating her 29th birthday.
Will spent months planning the proposal and had let his and Laura’s parents in on his plan. He even took Laura’s dad out for lunch to ask permission for his daughter’s hand.
He also drew the engagement ring design to have it custom made with the help of Laura’s friend, Shirley O’Sullivan, who works in Moore’s Jewellery in Carrigaline, Co Cork.
