“My aunt, Kathleen Boylan, and Hashim Shehab were dating when this photo was taken in August 1955. They were attending the wedding of Kathleen’s brother Jack to Pat Kavanagh, and it was Hashim’s first trip to Ireland to meet the family. Kathleen, originally from Spa Street, Portarlington, County Laois, met Hashim, from Mosul in Iraq, in London at a dance hosted by Prince Philip. Hashim was studying at Leavensworth and Kathleen was studying nursing at Hammersmith. They married and went to live in Baghdad for fifteen years, eventually returning to live in Ireland with their two children, Zaid and Jenan. Their marriage survived eight years of separation during the Iran–Iraq war. When Hashim returned in 1986, they settled in Sandycove. Their love endured family, culture, travel, war and time.”
(1955)
Submitted by kay murphy
