Field of dreams - Cork's Bell’s Field provides ideal location for US student's proposal

The medical student from New York chose the Cork park over the Empire State building and Niagara Falls to ask his big question

Ali Syed proposing to Maha Irfan in Bell's Field, Cork. Ali said: "I thought we would have a nice private moment but when we got there, there was like 100 people enjoying the evening sunshine.

He swept her off her feet with a romantic sunset proposal in a city park that captured her heart.

But Ali Syed, from New York, said it was the people in Cork's Bell’s Field who cheered and applauded after he popped the question to his girlfriend, Maha Ifran, who helped turn the moment gold.

“When she said yes, technically I scored the biggest goal of my life, and then I see the crowd cheering and applauding — it was the perfect moment, in the perfect place, in the perfect city. We couldn’t have asked for better," Ali said. 

The couple has yet to set a date for the wedding, but for those in Bell’s Field who are now part of the couple's story and who would like to attend, Ali said it will include celebrations in New York, Toronto and Karachi, Pakistan, where the couple’s grandparents are.

Bell's Field, which boasts stunning views of the city, has seen its fair share of drama in recent years, serving as a favoured location for the cast of the Young Offenders.

But a real-life love story played out there last Friday after Ali, 25, a medical student in New York, flew in to help his long-term girlfriend, Maha, 25, from Toronto, celebrate her graduation from UCC’s School of Medicine.

He said she had spoken often over the years of her love for Bell’s Field, and about how she would often visit the park to relax and de-stress from her studies.

And while he had the choice of proposing atop the Empire State building in his home town, or at Niagara Falls, close to where she's from in Toronto, he said it had to be Bell’s Field in Cork.

Ali proposing to Maha in Bell's Field, Cork. “Maha talked about Bell’s Field all the time. She said you can see all of the city from there, and that there are great views of the sunset. It’s one of her favourite locations,” said Ali.

“Maha talked about Bell’s Field all the time. She said you can see all of the city from there, and that there are great views of the sunset. It’s one of her favourite locations,” he said.

“And it's all about what place is special to the heart, what place holds a lot of value in your heart. For her, it was Bell’s Field so I looked it up on Google and then I felt it would be the perfect spot to ask her to marry me.” 

After a lot of scheming and planning on Ali's part, the couple arrived at Bell’s Field last Friday for what Maha thought was going to be a graduation picnic. But Ali had other ideas – and a ring in his pocket.

Ali and Maha. “I thought the park would be deserted,” Ali said.

“I thought the park would be deserted,” Ali said. "I thought we would have a nice private moment but when we got there, there was like 100 people enjoying the evening sunshine.

“A guy about to propose is already nervous but this ramped up the nerves by 100 degrees. But when she said yes, and people realised what had happened, they all started cheering and applauding.

“I expected the whole thing to be nerve-wracking, but the people in the park banded together to make it lovely and fun."

He had secretly organised for Jannick of Save the Journey photography to capture the moment for them.

Ali and Maha. “It's all about what place is special to the heart, what place holds a lot of value in your heart."

“Maha thought he was just a kind stranger doing landscape photography who had offered to take a photo of her but then I got down on one knee and asked, and she said yes, and he captured it all,” he said.

“People came up to us afterward to say ‘congratulations’ – and I think half the park has invited themselves to our wedding.” 

The couple has yet to set a date for the wedding, but for those in Bell’s Field who are now part of the couple's story and who would like to attend, Ali said it will include celebrations in New York, Toronto and Karachi, Pakistan, where the couple’s grandparents are.