Fun — and love — in their travels

Feb. 19, 2022, in Philadelphia

They met at a party at West Virginia University in 2010, but Niamh and Matt didn’t truly become friends until they became off-campus neighbors.

Niamh had known one of Matt’s roommates since they started kindergarten together in Wilmington, and that friendship bridged the two households. They all hiked, watched TV, and went to parties together, but within the group, Matt and Niamh always sought each other’s company.

“We were both seeing people, and it was never panning out,” remembers Niamh. “We would always talk to each other about those situations.”

The rest of their friend group noticed. “They were always saying we should be a couple. They kind of teased us about it.” said Matt, who grew up in Boca Raton, Fla.

Matt and Niamh never discussed whether their friends might be on to something. But by the end of 2011, they sometimes hung out together, without the rest of the group. And one January 2012 night at a mutual friend’s party, they went outside to talk and wound up kissing. What was happening between them could no longer be ignored.

The couple had their first real date a few days later on Jan. 13 at Cheddar’s Casual Cafe — the almost-fancy place West Virginia students take visiting parents. They’ve been a duo ever since.

Each loves the other’s willingness to get out and live life.

“Matt is always ready to go somewhere, to try something. He’s interesting,” said Niamh. “Also, while I get stressed really easy, he’s calm all the time. He always tells me that it will be all right.”

“She always makes things fun,” said Matt. “And she’s always very nice to me, and nice to everyone.”

The couple, who are now both 30, graduated from West Virginia in 2014 and moved first to Boca and then Miami. From Florida International University, Matt earned his master’s degree in English and Niamh earned hers in international relations. They adopted a very large, very orange, and very demanding tabby cat, Leo — whose seventh birthday is today. “Maybe we’ll give him some chicken,” said Matt.

In 2017, Matt was accepted into the English Ph.D. program at Temple University, where he also teaches introductory writing. Niamh is a researcher for CGFNS International, a nonprofit health-care credentialing agency, and is also a Temple Ph.D. candidate in political science.

Moving here felt natural for Matt, whose parents are from Bucks County. “I grew up coming to Philly a lot, and my parents raised me to be an Eagles fan,” he notes. Niamh was also familiar with Philly, where she competed in annual Irish dance regional competitions and rowing regattas as a high school student.

The couple enjoyed traveling pre-pandemic; they’ve been to France, Costa Rica, and Ireland, and, domestically, to Fargo, N.D.; Chicago; Charleston, S.C.; New Orleans; and more.

Now based in Roxborough, they’ve spent the last two years in more granular explorations of Philadelphia’s neighborhoods. They also enjoy the city’s museums, trying every new restaurant they can, and hiking in Wissahickon Valley Park.

They hiked around the Houston Meadow part of the Wissahickon on their nine-year dating anniversary — Jan. 13, 2021. It was quiet and cold, and they had the place mostly to themselves.

Niamh thought Matt was acting a bit strange. He was trying his best to hide his complete lack of chill. “I couldn’t figure out where to do it,” he said. “In my own head, I was freaking out about it.” But not for long.

They came to some holly trees. “I saw some woodpeckers, and I thought, ‘This is a nice spot. This will do.’ ”

Matt came to a sudden stop, knelt on the frozen ground, and asked Niamh to marry him. She accepted and they clinked beer glasses under Wissahickon Brewing Co.’s big tent.

The couple wed on Feb. 19 with the city at their feet — ceremony and reception for 110 were held on the 33rd floor of the Loews Hotel.

Niamh’s godmother, Aunt Sandra, was ordained online so she could perform the six-minute secular ceremony. “The sun was setting and the sky was kind of purply,” said Niamh. “It was really beautiful and overwhelming.”

“I could pretty much see where we live, and I could see Temple,” said Matt. “I could see everything.”

The couple exchanged an updated version of the traditional for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health promises. One friend read an excerpt from Louis de Bernieres’ Captain Corelli’s Mandolin. “I like it because it says that being in love is being there when things get hard, that when you find your right person, you’ll always be there,” said Niamh. Another friend read from Kurt Vonnegut’s If This Isn’t Nice, What Is? “It talks about finding the beauty in simple things, like listening to music or a glass of lemonade,” said Matt.

At their reception, the couple’s first dance as a married couple was to The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven.” They gave their DJ a long list of other must-play songs, including “Levels” by Avicii. “It was always playing at Matt’s house when we were in college,” Niamh said.

“Whiskey in the Jar” got Niamh’s 70-something Irish uncles to the dance floor. And all Mountaineers present joined in singing the last song of the night, John Denver’s “Country Roads.”

In the future, the couple hopes to take a delayed honeymoon to Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Right now, after all the wedding planning, it’s been nice to get back to routines, relax, and soak it all in.

“It doesn’t feel that different in our relationship, but it is really nice to be married,” said Niamh. Matt agrees. “It’s really nice to call her my wife.”