A woman flew 7,000 miles to Hawaii to meet a stranger after matching with him on Tinder and they fell in love and have since welcomed their first child.
American Brady Elliot, 25, was flying home to Hawaii after a trip to Ireland when he matched on the dating app with Clodagh O’Sullivan, 22, in July 2019.
The pair started exchanging messages that August and spent hours FaceTiming each other – and felt an “instant connection”.
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After three months of chatting on the phone, Brady convinced Clodagh to fly to Hawaii, where he was stationed as a navy marine medic to meet in person.
The couple said it was love at first sight. Clodagh returned to spend Christmas and New Year with his family in Florida, where he’s from.
They made things official during a trip to Jamaica and the US in October 2020 – where Clodagh fell pregnant – and then Brady moved to Co Kerry in December that year.
The loved-up couple welcomed their son Jamie Elliot on July 23, 2021, and are now happily living together in Ireland after their chance encounter.
Clodagh explained how they hooked up on Tinder.
She continued: “Brady was on a day trip to Dingle, so our apps must have been in proximity for about an hour when we matched. It’s really lucky we crossed paths.
“I couldn’t really see his photos on Tinder so I wasn’t that interested, but he then sent me a funny meme from The Office and it made me laugh. He was about to fly so couldn’t meet in person, but asked to add me on Instagram and we started sending messages and speaking.
"To be honest, I didn’t expect anything to really come from it. Never in a million years did I think I would fall in love and start a family after accepting that Tinder message.
“I nearly talked myself out of going to meet him. For all I knew he was some 80-year-old man catfishing me.
“But I’m so glad I booked the flight and took the punt. As soon as we met, I knew he was the one.”
Recalling the first time they met, Brady, a musician, said: “We matched on the last day of my vacation, and I thought she was gorgeous.
“I was pretty obsessed with her from the get-go. Even though it seemed a bit silly to keep texting someone two oceans away.
“I asked the universe for a sign and then Nancy Mulligan came on by Ed Sheeran and I knew for sure it was meant to be.
“I kept asking her to visit me in Hawaii because I knew she was something insanely special.
“We kept talking for months and call non-stop and finally got her a ticket. Meeting her at the airport was the most nerve-racking day of my life.
“I knew Clodagh was the one right there in that airport and our first few weeks together felt like we had known each other through a thousand lifetimes.
“Living in Ireland is amazing – I never would have imagined living in a different country.
“But living here with her and our little baby boy is the most surreal thing I will ever experience, and I love every second of it.”
Clodagh said she and Brady hope to tie the knot in the future.
She added: “We didn’t plan to have a baby, but it was the best surprise.”
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