Yesterday, Joseph got in touch with the show with this:
Hey Paula- there was a student working at my office this summer . During the course of a conversation it turns out his girlfriend's mother was my religion teacher in secondary school who went on maternity leave to have her when I was in second year! Ahh! - Joseph in Wexford
It got me thinking about the world being a tiny place - you literally can't go anywhere! Don't believe me? Have a read below!
- “I met my partner 2 years ago, she’s from Longford and I’m from Clare. The first day I met her dad, he thought he recognised me! Turns out our dads worked and lived together in London in 1971!”
- “On a trip to China a few years ago I arranged to go training with an American who was living and studying there. I'd never met him before. He said, I must introduce you to my friend from Galway. He took us out for dinner where we met his friend who said his girlfriend was visiting for the first time. Turns out she's from around the corner from me!” – Darren
- “Moved to London in the late 80s Paula. One night, I was on the bus home after a night out. A guy sitting behind me asked if I was Irish as well, and said he'd just moved there. Met up with him for a few pints and spent the summer having the craic. Towards the end of the summer we discovered he was the cousin of a girl I went to school with!”
- “Bumped into someone who I met in France in Dublin almost a year later. It was completely by chance while walking to work. Then ran into that same person again a few months later while on a plane flying to Germany. It got weird!”
- “Hi Paula. I was sitting in a bar in Corfu town one time in my early twenties. This guy came up to me and said Are you a Saville? Turns out he was our next door neighbour until I was about 7 years old. He had left to join the Royal Navy. They had just docked in Corfu and he had shore leave!” - Gordon, Cork
- I grew up in the UK Paula and back in the 90s we went on a family holiday to Disney Paris. While queuing for a rollercoaster, we turned around and our next door neighbours were standing right behind us. Neither party had any idea the other was going to be there!”
- “Hi Paula. Small world? This is absolutely gospel. Years ago a female teacher in a local secondary school went to Greece on holidays with some friends. While island hopping, they decided to bear all and go for a stroll on a busy enough nudist beach. They hadn't gone far when a voice came out of a group they were passing: Hey Miss! No word of a lie!” Kevin in Waterford
- “Paula, my girlfriend and I flew from NYC for a short shopping trip 3 years ago. Took the train from JFK, switched to another train somewhere in Manhattan, sat down and her cousin who is living there for work is sitting across from us!”
- “Sea kayaking in Thailand when I row up alongside another person - only to discover it was a mate from school who I'd no idea was in Thailand, and hadn't seen in 5 years!” - Eoin
- “Hi Paula. My grandfather's first cousin was one of 19 kids in West Cork. He emigrated to Toronto at 18 years old and three of his siblings were not born yet. 22 years later he got talking to a woman in a bar. It turned out they were brother and sister who had never met!”
- “Hi Paula. Small world. A friend of mine kept asking me to meet a guy she knew that I would get on with. I kept saying no cause he didn’t live near me. Then I was online dating and got matched up with a guy. And it turned out it was the guy she told me about. 6 years later still together!”
- “About 20years ago I got a package in the post from Oz. Turns out 3 of my ex's who didn't know each other met over there and I somehow came up in conversation - so they decided to send me a pressie. I still have the bright yellow Taz bodyboard they sent!” - Mick in Wicklow
- “Well Sweet P - over in London in 90’s, I was shopping. I walked into Boots with my sister when two local Waterford lads salute at me while robbing the shop. London, a population of nearly 10 million, and I walked into that carry-on from lads you know to see back home. Didn't know whether to laugh or cry!” - Waterford Blaa
- “I was in New Zealand, on the south island in a really isolated place called Milford Sound - only one mountain road into and out of it. They do dolphin watching tours. I was in the queue and heard my name; my dad’s friend was travelling the world and just happened to be stopped here working for the boat that takes people out! Got a free trip!” - Wes
- “Hi Paula. One time I was working on some road works. One day a person stops looking for directions, they're from Donegal, miles from where we are. This particular person knows the person I'm working with so slightly random. 6 months later I'm in Australia and move into a house with friends of friends. The person who asked for directions was one of the group we lived with!”
- “Paula, I separated from my wife in July 2005, I started going out with a girl in July 2006. We arranged to go to Italy in July 2007. We got onto the coach after our flight, heading for the hotel and who’s there only my ex’s two sisters and two cousins... and they were staying in the same hotel! Bummer!” - Jim
- “Paula, small world! I worked in a bar in Spain when I was 21. I met a Donegal girl over there and we said we would meet up at home when we got back. I found out she lived in my home town of Leixlip for the last 17 years, and I went to school with her younger sister! 13 years married with 3 lovely kids!” - Dave
- “When in Ennis last weekend, we met a couple from Norway who were on holidays. They had just visited The Cliffs of Moher. Then on Monday, I bumped into them in my local pub in Wicklow town. Said hi to them, but not sure if they thought I was stalking them!” - Sarah, wick town
- “Hi Paula, happy Thursday! In 2006 I was doing the Australia/New Zealand thing. I was in a random bar in Wanaka on the South Island (it’s a real place!) when a first cousin of mine let a roar at me from across the bar! We grew up about 2 miles from each other, we are both back in Ireland about 9 years and I haven t seen him since! We had some craic that night though!”
- “Met my wife at a work-do. After a while, I shared I was adopted and it turns out, she was too. It got to the stage when it was time for the parents to meet each other - and it turns out they knew each other! 34 years ago they met while we were being adopted. Our cots were side by side in Rotunda Hospital! Had no idea. Now baby on way for Xmas!” - Mick
- “Hi Paula, last year my girlfriend and I went to Vietnam. We stayed in Hanoi for a few days, then went to stay on a boat for a night on Ha Long bay. There was only about 8 or 10 other people staying on the boat too and wouldn't you know it, I met a lad I went to school with! He was on his honeymoon and turns out we were staying in the same hotel in Hanoi too!” - Pete in Westmeath
- “Paula I was due to start my current job in Dublin in November 2015. The week before, I was in a restaurant in Galway for the first time. The following week on my first day, I went to the bathroom and who was in there only the lad who served me the week before! We started the same day!” - Wes
- “Paula, getting off a bus in tiny town in Vietnam called Hue I heard a guy shout Up Belturbet!) I turned around just in time to see a mophead disappear around a corner. I told my mates and they said I must've imagined it. That night, I walked into a bar and sure enough one of the lads from home was sitting at bar and shouts over "you never said hello ya prick!”
- “Gave a lady a speeding ticket. She cried and said she was rushing to prepare a special night for her daughter. That night, I met the girlfriends’ parents for the first time over dinner... Ouch that was awkward!”
- “Hi Paula. About 10 years ago I'd broken up with a girlfriend. A couple of months later, I went for a year to Australia. After being in Sydney for a while, it was time to find a job. I arranged to meet a recruitment agent. I walked in to find out my ex was working there as a receptionist!”
